


Spoilers

by EbonySolcum



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Darillium, F/M, Random Adventures, Singing Towers of Darillium
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2020-08-19 15:17:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 60,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20211913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EbonySolcum/pseuds/EbonySolcum
Summary: A collection of 'Doctor Who' stories, mostly having to do with River Song and the Doctor. All of them take place after the events of "The Wedding of River Song".However, not all the stories include River. Some will be my take on what might happen if certain characters met Doctors they didn't know. There will be stories with the Eleventh, Twelfth, and Thirteen Doctors. Eventually, I will introduce my own companions and my own Doctor because I want to explore different ways that companions could meet the Doctor's wife, and what they might think of her. Also, I want a male Doctor who comes after the Twelfth Doctor to interact with River.Also, I will be saving some of my favorite companions. The ways I save them might not all make sense but I'm sure I've seen more ridiculous ideas.I do not own 'Doctor Who' or any of the characters. Kinda wish I did, but I don't.





	1. The Doctor Dies

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know how good I'll be at writing the characters or just sci-fi in general so please bear with me. All these stories are connected and take place in chronological order during the Doctor's timeline. There will be some of the Doctors Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen as well as my own Doctor who will have companions who are also my own characters.

The Doctor stumbled through the halls as the _Teselecta_ rocked with the shock of the blasts. He needed to see what was happening and make sure his friends weren't interfering. The sound of Amy's screams still echoed in his ears. He only hoped River had managed to stop her.

He ran into the control room, jumping away from the sparks raining down from the panels on the walls.

"Captain!" he called.

Captain Carter's chair swiveled as he turned to check another screen.

"Damage report!" he demanded.

The crew quickly supplied the information as they worked to stabilize the machine.

"We need to get up," the Doctor said. "They need to think they've actually killed me."

"Prep for regeneration," the Captain called. "Get ready for another impact."

The Doctor gripped the back of the Captain's chair as his eyes fell on the main screen. His hands, or rather a perfect replication of his hands, came into view, glowing gold with regeneration energy.

Amy's voice came over the _Teselecta_'s speakers.

"Doctor!"

The image shifted up to show the Doctor's friends in the distance. They were standing frozen, both River and Rory holding Amy in place.

The Doctor was certain River knew what was happening, possibly even vaguely remembered it, but he could see the shock on her parent's faces. They were younger than he had seen them in a long time, too young even to know who River was, and he suddenly felt horrible for inviting them.

_Perhaps I should have invited earlier versions_, he thought, his eyes fixed on their faces. But he knew it was too late. They would go on to travel with a younger version of him so he knew when it had happened in their time stream and there was nothing he could do to change it. Besides, he knew it wouldn't have changed anything. The _Teselecta_ had picked up Amy's screams, even over the sound of the shot, and the Doctor knew her screams would have been just as heart-wrenching coming from her future self. Perhaps even more so.

Letting out a heavy sigh, he raised the communicator to his mouth.

"I'm sorry," he breathed. He motioned for the crew to proceed with the plan. The view on the screen was obscured by swirling gold energy. However, he could still see beyond it. The _Teselecta_ had turned its head and was now looking at its attacker. The Doctor was met with the sight of River's tear-stained face but the view quickly changed to blue sky as the _Teselecta_ raised its head. The next moment, the screen was filled with the sight of regeneration energy.

There was the sound of another shot and the _Teselecta_ was thrown onto its back. The Doctor tightened his grip on the Captain's chair as he was flung backward. He reached up to push his stetson out of his face. A voice came over the speakers. The Doctor had expected it to be Amy's once more. He was surprised to hear River.

"No! Doctor!"

Her voice was quickly followed by Amy's.

"Doctor, please!"

"Adjust the scanner," the Doctor demanded, wanting to see what his friends were doing. However, his voice was drowned by the others in the control room. Sparks flew from the controls as the crew called out.

"Damage report!"

"Stop transmitting life signs!"

"Artificial gravity holding!"

"Make sure we still won't be identified as a machine!"

"Sheilds?"

"Minor damage in the left knee!"

"Sheilds holding!"

The Doctor turned his attention back to the screen. River and Amy had appeared at the edge of it but it was difficult to see what they were doing.

"Captain, the scanner," he demanded.

"Adjust the scanner!" the Captain called.

The view on the screen shifted to show Amy sobbing and River looking at her scanner.

"River," Amy choked out. "River!"

The beeping of River's device turned into a single, long note. The Doctor watched as the two women looked up at each other, both knowing what it meant.

"No," Amy whimpered.

River put away her scanner as she scrambled to her feet. The _Teselecta_'s scanner followed her. She pulled out her gun and leveled it at the back of the astronaut. The Doctor inhaled sharply as she fired her gun. Five shots rang out but when she pulled the trigger the sixth time there was only a click. The _Teselecta_ caught her quiet sigh and soft words.

"Course not."

She lowered her gun and returned it to her holster. She turned to look at Amy. One of the people in the control room pressed a few buttons and the scanner shifted to the young red-head as well. She was sitting, hugging her legs as she cried.

"River, he can't be dead," she sobbed. "This is impossible."

River knelt by the Doctor.

"Whatever that was, it killed him in the middle of his regeneration cycle," she explained, her voice shaking slightly. "His body was already dead. He didn't make it to the next one."

"Maybe he's a clone, or a duplicate or something," Amy choked out.

"I believe I can save you some time," a man's voice said. The Doctor recognized it as Canton. "That most certainly is the Doctor. And he is most certainly dead. He said you'd need this." He set down a red can.

"Gasoline?" Rory asked.

The Doctor watched as River's gaze shifted to the can. A look of realization formed on her face and he let out a sigh of relief. He had trusted her to understand what to do and she had come through. _As she always does._

"A Time Lord's body is a miracle. Even a dead one. There are whole empires out there who would rip this world apart for just one cell." She bent over the _Teselecta_ before getting to her feet. "We can't leave him here. Or anywhere."

Amy's face appeared on the screen and the Doctor suspected she was cradling his face in her hands. "Wake up!" she demanded. "Go on, wake up, you stupid bloody idiot!" She moved to rest her head on his chest.

The Doctor felt his hearts break a little as he heard her continued sobs.

"What do we do, Rory?" she cried.

River was the one to reply. "We're his friends. We do what the Doctor's friends always do." She leaned down and picked up the can. "As we're told."

The Doctor couldn't help the small smile that tugged on his lips. "Liar," he chuckled.

The Captain looked at him curiously, though his look of curiosity looked much like his look of disapproval. He was distracted by Rory's voice.

"There's a boat."

"Everything's going to plan," the Captain said, relief evident in his voice.

"If we're gonna do this, let's do it properly," Rory went on.

He moved out of the scanner's view and the Doctor ran a hand through his hair. The group on the beach moved away from the _Teselecta_.

"Has it worked?" the Captain asked a few minutes later, turning his chair to look up at the Doctor.

"Well, time hasn't frozen again and the universe hasn't exploded so . . ." The Doctor shrugged. "I think it has."

"And you're still alive."

"Yes. Thanks for that," the Doctor said. He hesitated. "Uh, do you remember what happened? You know, the two time streams? I mean, this whole machine was at the center of the explosion so everyone on it should but . . ."

"I do," the Captain said. "But only vaguely. I have to concentrate to remember what happened when time was frozen."

"Ah."

Before the Doctor could say anything else, the room shook again. From the view on the screen, he could see that the _Teselecta_ was being dragged across the sand, presumably towards the boat.

"You're absolutely sure the shields will hold?" the Doctor asked.

The Captain gave him a disapproving look. "Doctor, I've told you before. The shields have nothing to do with this. The _Teselecta_ is entirely inflammable. We'll be fine." He turned to Jim. "Gravity?"

"Holding," he replied.

They felt the _Teselecta_ be hoisted into the boat and watched as River splashed gasoline all over it. Canton offered Amy a matchbox. She shook her head so River took it instead. Striking a match, she tossed it into the boat and the view of her was replaced by flames.

"Now we wait for . . ." The Doctor checked his watch. "About an hour. My invitation had me in that diner at 5:45 and they came a few minutes later. Do you need my help getting out?"

The Captain shook his head. "No, we should be fine. What are you going to do now?"

"I need to begin erasing myself from everyone's records. It may take a long time but I think it's best if people don't remember me," the Doctor explained. "It's like River said: I got too big."

"Would you like us to help with that?"

"No, you've done enough. More than enough. You saved my life. I owe you."

"Nonsense. It was an honor."

Anita looked up from her controls. "Excuse me, Doctor, but you said an hour. Shouldn't we wait longer?"

"What for?" he asked, bemused.

"Won't the Silence comes back for Doctor Song? They'd expect to find your body here."

"No, the Silence won't come for her. They raised and trained her to kill me. That was her only purpose. Now that she's done it, they don't need her anymore. They're done with her."

"So what's to happen to her?" the Captain asked pointedly.

"How should I know?" the Doctor asked. "I'm not the Si--"

He broke off, realization hitting him like a ton of bricks. "Of course!" he exclaimed angrily, nearly knocking his hat off as he hit his forehead with his fist. "How could I be so stupid! She's sitting at the bottom of the lake in a spacesuit that the Silence modified and control! They don't need to come back for her. The suit can keep her alive for days but since they don't need her anymore they can just fill it up with water! They're going to drown her!" His voice rose in pitch as he got more and more nervous. He darted toward the controls. "Scan the lake!"

One of the people pressed a few buttons and a hologram of the lake appeared in the middle of the room. The spacesuit was right in the middle of it, sitting on the lake-bottom.

"I need to go after her!"

"But your friends are still out there," the Captain pointed out.

"Don't worry. I'll take the Tardis from in here and materialize right around her. I won't be in the open air. They won't see me. Besides, I can't let the Silence kill her."

"But she's in prison for killing you," Jim said. "That means she can't die now."

"Her continued survival is not technically a fixed point in time. The Silence knows that she's in prison but believe that she doesn't have to be. They think that killing her now will just change a few things in the future," the Doctor explained rapidly. "But I wouldn't be alive today if not for her. In her future, she will save my life over and over again. She's the reason I can be here at all. That means she has to survive now and I have to make sure she does."

"But won't the Silence wonder how she escaped?" the Captain asked.

"River is known for her ability to escape. No one will question it." The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver. He pointed it at the map and scanned it, transferring the information onto it. "Now, I really need to go."

"Alright then. It was an honor working with you."

"Yes, and you," the Doctor replied, anxious to leave.

"Goodbye, Doctor."

He nodded slightly. Then he turned and ran from the room. Just over a minute later he was in the Tardis and had plugged the screwdriver into the consol. He pressed a few buttons and the column in the middle began to move up and down.


	2. Saving a Song

Tears streamed down River's face as the spacesuit carried her back under the lake. She had never cried so much in her life. But then, she had never been forced to kill the man she loved with no way of stopping herself before.

As the water came up past her helmet, she had the odd sensation that she had forgotten something, something important, but she pushed the thought away.

_None of that matters now. He's dead._

More tears pooled in her eyes, some spilling down her cheeks. Her eyes began to sting and she longed to wipe the tears away but she couldn't move. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that it would help.

When she opened her eyes again, she was completely surrounded by water. She had never minded tight spaces but, as she stared through the dark water, unable to see anything, she suddenly felt claustrophobic. She was well aware that the only thing keeping her from drowning there at the bottom of the lake was the spacesuit. A spacesuit she knew had been modified by people who probably didn't care whether she survived and might even prefer to have her dead.

_But I can't die_, she tried to reason with herself. _I was there on the beach. I saw myself. My future self. The Doctor showed me._

But she knew it didn't matter. She knew that time could be rewritten.

_But why not a fixed point?_ she thought angrily, more tears running down her cheeks. She pressed her eyes shut once more. _Just because the Doctor told me a fixed point can't be changed doesn't mean--_

Her eyes flew open. _When did he tell me that?_

She had met the Doctor twice; first in Berlin when she had poisoned him, then now by the lake when he had shot him. There hadn't been much time for conversation during either meeting so she remembered what little they had said clearly.

_He told me_ not _to rewrite time but he didn't say I couldn't rewrite a fixed point._

River frowned but before she could give the matter another thought there was a small pop and she felt something cold and wet on her shoulder. She tried to turn her head to see what had happened. Water was leaking through where the helmet met the suit. As she watched, the gaps got bigger and more water flooded in.

_They're drowning me!_ she realized. She started to panic, struggling to get herself loose. But the suit held firm and her movement only served to widen the gaps. She continued struggling despite the fact that the water was nearly at her waist.

"The bloody spacesuit," she muttered. _How did I ever get out of it as a child?_

She wasn't sure where that thought had come from, or even if it was true, but she quickly pushed it away to focus on trying to get out. But nothing was working and the water was already filling the helmet. She let out a whimper as the water flooded up around her mouth. Tilting her head back, she gulped a deep breath of air before the water passed her nose. She continued trying to free herself but she was quickly running out of air.

Her vision grew fuzzy so she closed her eyes as a dull ringing started in her ears. The sound was joined by another faint, vaguely familiar noise. A moment later, River felt the water rush away from her head. She gulped in a breath of air and began coughing. Her eyes opened to meet a blinding pale blue light. But before her eyes could adjust, everything went blank.

The Doctor pulled his screwdriver out of the Tardis console and lept towards the spacesuit that had just appeared in the room. It fell forward onto its hands and knees. He pointed his screwdriver at the joint between the helmet and suit, releasing it. Then he pulled the helmet off. Water poured out of it, splashing on his shoes and trousers and all over the floor but he didn't care.

As soon as the helmet was off, River had breathed in before coughing violently. Then her head dropped forward in an unnatural position and he knew she was unconscious. He pushed the spacesuit over to rest on its side. Pointing his screwdriver at the front of it, he scanned it, trying to find a way to get her out. He checked the readings and let out a frustrated growl when he found nothing. His head snapped up.

"The gunshots," he breathed.

Leaping over the motionless spacesuit, he ran his hands over the back of it. Sure enough, he found five small holes in the white fabric, right about where her heart was.

_Deadly shot_, he thought with a small smile.

Slipping his fingers into a few of the holes, he pulled apart. The fabric tore with a satisfying noise. He pulled past a few more layers of fabric and material until he finally managed to find River's own, black clothes. He pushed the two halves of the spacesuit apart. More water poured out, soaking his trousers, but he continued until he could slip his hands under her arms. He pulled her out, careful to get her head through the ring around the neck.

When he had gotten her free, he let himself fall to the ground, sitting on the wet floor. He rolled her over and pulled her partially into his lap.

The Doctor looked down into her face. He reached up to gently push a few wet curls away from her eyes. His hand settled to cover her cheek, his thumb gently caressing her wet skin.

"River?" he whispered, his voice full of worry and hope. He pulled her closer, still cradling her face in his hand. "River!"

A moment later, the woman's eyelids fluttered open to reveal her green-blue eyes. She looked up into his face, clearly not quite realizing who he was. Then her eyes widened and she pulled away from him suddenly, falling to the wet glass floor. She pushed herself backward as quickly as she could, away from him.

The Doctor shifted to his knees. The motion carried him a few inches nearer to her and she jerked back again. He fell back to sit on his legs and stared at her. She stared back. The look in her eyes could only describe as terror. He felt his hearts sink in his chest. Never, in all the adventures he had been through with her, had he seen her this scared. The thought that he was the one making her this scared hurt worse than anything he had felt in a long time.

"No," she breathed.

"River?" he said cautiously.

"You can't be," she whispered. "You're--" She broke off. "Who are you?" she demanded, her voice was hoarse.

The Doctor's face shifted to match his confusion. "What? River, you know who I am."

"I know who you look like but you can't be the Doctor."

He moved back up to his knees and she winced again.

"Come on, River. Look. Look at where we are."

River turned her head, her eyes sweeping around the console room. When she turned back, he was glad to see the terror was gone. She was merely looking at him warily.

"You're younger then," she said slowly. She went on before he could correct her. "You must be, even if only a few hours younger." She smiled in spite of herself. _The impossible man._ "You came to rescue me, even though you know what I just did. What I'm going to do to you." Her eyes fell on the stetson perched on his head, nearly falling off. Her mind went back to the accounts she had collected of children who had seen him. She had known they had something to do with the note in her Tardis blue notebook; with what had just happened.

"River--"

"You're about to go to the lake, aren't you?" she said quickly, more tears spilling from her eyes and getting lost among the other drops of water on her face. She moved forward suddenly, grabbing at the front of his jacket. "You can't go. Promise me you won't go. Run away. Please. Just this once, please run," she sobbed. She buried her face in his chest and continued crying.

The Doctor couldn't help the smile that crept onto his face. However, it vanished as he began to speak.

"River," he breathed, smoothing a hand over her dripping curls. He gently pushed her back and pried her fingers away from his jacket, taking her hands in his. "Can you look at me?"

She continued looking down at the floor, her body shaking with every sob.

"River," he said, pressing his forehead to hers. "I promise I'm not going back to the lake."

Her tears slowed and she looked up hesitantly. "Really?"

He nodded. "Now, I need you to think. Please, River, think," he begged. "You're special. You, like your mother, can remember things that didn't happen."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm not going back to the lake because I was just there," the Doctor said.

River inhaled sharply pulling her hands from his. "You can't--"

"I need you to think," he interrupted taking her hands once more. "Remember what happened. Remember what happened in the moment between when you raised your arm to shoot me and the shot was fired."

"But nothing happened," she said, giving him a look of confusion.

"No. Think."

She let out a sigh and closed her eyes, focusing on the moment he had mentioned.

"You said goodbye," she murmured. "And then I shot you. Except--" She broke off and looked at him in confusion. "Except I didn't shoot you. I drained my weapons systems. Then you told me off for changing a fixed point and then everything went haywire."

The Doctor grinned at her. "So you do remember!" he exclaimed.

"But I did shoot you," she said. "I remember shooting you and I remember not shooting you. How can I have done both?"

"You tried to change a fixed point," he explained. "That's not possible. Believe me, I've tried. In my case, it was only a few details that changed. The woman whose life I tried to save committed suicide and events remained as they were. However, for you, time on the whole planet stopped. All of Earth's history and future happened at once."

River closed her eyes as memories of the months that had never happened flooded her mind. "Yes, I remember now," she said. She opened her eyes to look at him. "When we-- You told me to look in your eye. I did and I saw you. It was the _Teselecta_, wasn't it? You were inside it and that's what I shot. You're alive!"

The Doctor grinned at her. "Of course I'm alive."

River smiled. Then her smile faded and pulled her hands away, resting them in her lap. She stared at them as she fidgeted with the wet sleeve around her wrist.

"Doctor, that whole timeline . . . It never existed," she said softly. Her tone was difficult to place.

"No," he replied.

She felt her heart sink. Another tear escaped down her cheek but her head was bowed and there was still water running down her face from her hair so she was sure he hadn't seen it. Taking a deep breath to compose herself, she raised her head and managed a smile. "That's good. It means no one actually died. You didn't want people dying for you and no one did."

The Doctor smiled back at her but he could see in her eyes that she was upset, and he was certain he knew what about. He reached forward, taking her hands again. Then he shifted towards her and raised a hand to rest on her cheek. A look of confusion formed on her face.

"What are you doing, Doctor?" she whispered.

He shushed her and pulled her into a gentle kiss. When he pulled away, she blinked up at him, surprise evident in her eyes.

"What was that for?" she asked.

He offered her another smile. "Can't a man kiss his new wife?"

Her eyes widened. "But I thought-- I'm not your wife. You said none of that happened."

"No, it didn't. Nothing that took place in that timeline -- all history happening at once, that mess you made with the pyramids, all the people who died -- none of that happened. If we go back to London, it will look like it did before you shot me, same with the pyramids, and I think you'll find that all those people are still alive. But if we remember the things we did, the decisions we made, I suppose that means we did them."

"So, our wedding," River said softly, almost hopefully. "You'd say that happened?"

"Well, I remember it, you remember it. The only other people present were your parents and, if I know them, they'll remember it too," he explained. Then he hesitated. "Unless . . . Unless you don't want it to have happened?"

"No, I--" River looked down, a faint blush forming on her cheeks. "I just expected you to pretend it didn't happen." She looked up again. "I mean, you did tell me that you didn't want to marry me."

"I changed my mind," he replied simply.

"You married me to save the universe," she pointed out.

"No, I saved the universe while marrying you," the Doctor said. "Entirely different. Then I came to find you, hoping you'd remember what happened."

River's face broke into a smile. She flung herself forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips to his. He let out a surprised laugh before slipping his arms around her waist and returning the kiss. He pulled her closer.

"I didn't just marry you to save the universe," he whispered when they pulled apart. "Alright?"

River nodded, moving one hand from around his neck to straighten his damp bowtie. The Doctor released her and looked around them.

"Just look at this mess," he exclaimed playfully. "Water everywhere."

"You're the one who dumped it all over the floor," she replied. She had hesitantly matched his teasing tone of voice and he knew it would soon become the voice that would tease him relentlessly in his past. He grinned at her.

"Now, you're soaking wet and you're shivering. Why don't you go take a shower to warm yourself up and get yourself into some dry clothes? I'll deal with this spacesuit and cleans up your mess."

"I think you'll need to change as well," River said, gesturing pointedly at the Doctor's legs. He was still kneeling in the water and his trousers were nearly completely soaked. He looked down.

"Uh, yes. Quite." Scrambling to his feet, he pulled her up and began pushing her to the stairs that led further into the Tardis. "Off you go."

River stopped when she reached the bottom of the stairs and turned to face him. "I don't know where I'm going," she pointed out.

The Doctor was about to tell her not to be ridiculous when he remembered that she had only been in the Tardis three times before and had only left the control room while unconscious. Glancing back at the spacesuit, he was about to tell her to trust the Tardis to make sure she got where she needed to go. However, the thought of leading her through the halls she would come to know so well was too tempting.

"Right, sorry. I forgot." He came down the stairs and bowed slightly. "With me, Doctor Song," he said, offering her his arm.

"How do you know I'm a doctor?" she asked as she slipped her arm through his. "I only just got my doctorate."

The Doctor offered her a smile. "You should know that."

"Oh, right. You know my future."

A shadow seemed to pass over his face but it was gone so quickly that River was sure she had imagined it. She was just beginning to realize how tired she was and the thought of a hot shower and a warm bed was more than inviting.

"Only some of it," the Doctor said. He suddenly wished that River's room and bathroom weren't quite so far away from the control room. Thankfully, the Tardis must have heard him because he was surprised with the sight of River's door around the next corner, despite the fact that there should have been seven more turns. "Here we are." He flung open the door and gestured around. "This is your room. Everything in here is yours. The bathroom is through that door and all your clothes are in there. I'll be back when I'm done."

River nodded and stepped into the room. A large wardrobe sat against one wall beside the door to the bathroom. Across from it was a dresser whose top was littered with makeup and perfume as well as a few pictures and other keepsakes. A mirror hung above it. A large bed sat against the wall opposite the door. Two small bedside tables flanked it.

Pulling open the doors to the wardrobe, she looked inside. Dresses of various colors and styles hung in a row. Beneath them were several rows of shoes. Some of the shoes and dresses were fancy, others better suited for action. She stared at it all in surprise.

"This is all mine?" she breathed. She had spent the last several years living in a small flat where she had only a few things she could call her own. Most of the money she earned went to paying for her education and the thought that she would go on to own so many beautiful things startled her. She reached out hesitantly as if touching the clothes would make them disappear. She ran a hand over them all, feeling the different textures beneath her fingers.

A shiver passed through her, reminding her that she was still dripping with lake water. Closing the wardrobe, she turned to the dresser. She rummaged around until she found a comfortable looking pair of pajamas. Then she took them into the bathroom.


	3. A New Night

When the Doctor had left River, he quickly made his way back to the control room, annoyed that the Tardis had returned the halls to their usual position. He picked up the spacesuit and examined it. He wasn’t surprised to find that it was slowly repairing itself and the innermost layer already looked as though it had never been torn. Picking up the helmet, he dragged the suit to the doors. He opened the doors to find himself facing a wall of water. A few fish swam lazily across the opening.

Suddenly realizing that it might not be a good idea to leave the suit with all its alien tech in a lake on earth, he shut the door again and dragged the suit through the Tardis into a room where he kept the different things he had picked up during his travels. Pulling out his screwdriver, he ran it over the controls on the front of the suit, disabling any communication or tracking devices. He returned to the control room, flicking a few switches to take them to an uninhabited asteroid. Then he made his way to another one of the many bathrooms to take a shower before changing into his pajamas.

The Doctor made his way through the halls until he reached River’s room. He knocked softly. There was no answer so he opened the door. He was met with an empty room. However, before he could leave or begin to worry, the bathroom door opened and River stepped out, drying her hair with a towel.

“Hello, Sweetie,” she greeted him. Her voice was cheerful but it was still hoarse. She sounded tired. He stepped forward and slipped his arms around her waist.

“I think you need to get some sleep,” he said softly.

“What about you? What are you gonna do? You don’t need sleep.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t sleep,” the Doctor replied. He tightened his grip on her. “I’m staying with you tonight. That is, if you’re okay with it. I don’t want everything happening to you now.”

River’s brows furrowed into a frown. “Doctor,” she said hesitantly. “You told me I wouldn’t remember killing you. Is that true?”

“I’m not so sure. I thought so because you never mentioned it but now I’m beginning to think that you will,” he admitted.

“And I’m in prison for it?”

“Does that scare you?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

“Good. You’ll be fine,” he promised. “Now, bedtime.”

River nodded, a few damp curls falling into her face. She pulled out of his arms, moving towards the bed. He followed after her. They both climbed under the covers and the Doctor switched off the lights. As he settled down, he was surprised to feel River scooting closer to him, pressing her back against his chest. He froze, unsure of what to do. Then he hesitantly rested his arm around her waist. She hummed slightly before slipping her fingers through his.

“River,” he murmured a moment later. She didn’t reply and he knew she was asleep. He pressed a kiss to the back of her head before settling back against the pillows. He had intended to stay awake, watching her sleep, but it had been a long time since he had had so much as a nap and had soon drifted off to sleep himself, cradling his new wife in his arms.

The Doctor was the first to wake up. Being a Time Lord, he didn’t need nearly as much sleep as River did. However, he was surprised when he checked his watch to find that he had slept all of six hours. Usually, he woke up after an hour, well-rested and ready to go.

His wife was still curled up against him, fast asleep, her chest rising and falling with each quiet breath. The Doctor lay there for a few minutes, studying her. She was turned slightly so he could see her face. He lay admiring her peaceful features, features surrounded by a halo of golden curls. But he soon felt the urge to move, even if just to read a book in the library. He hated staying in one place for long and six hours was more than enough.

_She won’t mind_, he thought. _I could just go, find something do until she wakes up. I’m sure she’ll understand, she always does. Once she wakes up, she’ll come and find me. Then we-- Well, we’ll see what happens._

However, as he looked down at the woman in his arms, he was reminded just how young she was. The look on her face was different than had ever seen. She looked so vulnerable, inexperienced . . . _So innocent._

The Doctor couldn’t help the soft chuckle that escaped his lips. Nothing about River Song was innocent, at any point in her life. No matter how young she was, no matter what regeneration she was in, he was sure she was never innocent.

Even so, he couldn’t help staring at her. It was strange seeing her like this. He felt certain she would never look so innocent again and he wanted to memorize that look and never forget it.

_Of course, she may always look like this while she sleeps. I’ve never seen her asleep before, only unconscious. And that was after she used the last ten of her lives to resurrect me. She didn’t look peaceful or innocent then, just in pain . . . and sick._

The memory of her lying in the hospital bed was enough to end his desire to move. He instinctively tightened his hold on her, pulling her closer. She shifted, turning so he could no longer see her face behind her hair. This also created a bit more space between them and the Doctor took the opportunity to pull her even closer.

The Doctor continued lying with her for over three hours. There were several times he had almost left her, desperate for something to do. But each time he reminded himself that this version of River was young. He was so used to her knowing everything about him that he had never thought to ask how she knew. Not that she would have told him. He had assumed she had learned about him as he had learned about her: by going on adventures together. But she had known everything about him on the day she first met him.

_The day she first killed me_, he thought with an amused smile. He knew she hadn’t seen him since then. She had spent the last several years at the Luna University, studying archeology in the hopes of finding him again. _She met me once, then fell in love with me through stories_, he realized.

The thought made him pull her closer. She mumbled something in her sleep and rolled over in his arms. Her eyes fluttered open.

“Good morning, my love,” she said groggily. “How long have I been asleep?”

“Nine hours.”

She looked surprised. “Nine? Usually, I only need three or four hours. Really helpful in University. While all the other students were struggling not to fall asleep after studying all night, I was wide awake and ready to go.”

“Time Lord DNA,” the Doctor replied.

“Yes, I know that. I’m still mostly human though, but, even then, nine hours?”

“You were tired. You’ve been through a lot.”

“Says the one who died,” River teased.

“I didn’t die!” he protested.

She just laughed. “Have you been here the whole time?”

“Does that surprise you?”

“Well, honestly, yes. I’ve read a lot about you and you never seemed the patient type. Even when I met you, you didn’t seem the type of person who could stay still for long. You were literally dying and you were still all over the place. How much did you sleep?”

“About six hours,” he admitted. “I surprised myself. And you’re right. I can’t stay still for long so don’t get used to it.”

River chuckled, a grin spreading across her face. Before he knew what was happening, she had pulled him into a kiss. He returned it, letting one hand bury itself in her hair. The kisses they had shared the night before had been gentle for the most part. This kiss was not. There was a hunger to it that surprised the Doctor, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, he deepened the kiss, allowing himself to get caught up in the sensation. He felt her smile against his lips and couldn’t help grinning back.

When they pulled apart River gave him a smile and he suddenly found himself unsure whether he was excited by what it might entail, or scared out of his wits.

“So,” she said, her voice sounding much more like it would in her future. “You’re my husband and it’s the night after our wedding . . .”

“I--it’s-- It’s the-- Uh. It’s the m-morning after our wedding,” the Doctor stammered. River was so close, her curls brushing against his cheeks, and the smell of her hair was making it difficult to form a coherent thought.

“We’re in a time machine, dear,” she purred. “It’s always night.”

Several hours later, River found herself sitting on the steps in the control room, her hair damp from her recent shower. She was watching as the Doctor ran around the console, pressing buttons and flipping switches like a madman.

_He is a madman_, she thought fondly.

The Tardis shook violently as her husband hit the wrong button. Rolling her eyes, she got up and moved towards the console, hoping to get them back on course. However, before she could flip so much as a switch, the Doctor had shooed her away from the controls once more.

“Sweetie, you keep saying I should rest but how am I supposed to do that with you crashing us all over the place?” she demanded.

“Take a seat, dear. We’ll be there soon.”

“And where exactly is ‘there’?” River asked.

“You’ll see,” he replied, turning back to the console.

“Do you even know where we’re going?”

The Doctor looked up at her, the expression on his face screaming ‘why do you have to insult me?’ “Of course I do!” He hit another button and the console sparked. He jumped backward. “Okay, maybe I don’t but we’ll still get there in the end.”

River got to her feet once more. She moved over to stand behind her husband and slipped her arms around his waist. He froze, his arms dropping to his sides. She rested her chin on his shoulder.

“Can I make a request?” she murmured.

“O-of course,” he stammered. “Always.”

“I want to go somewhere quiet, somewhere we can just watch. . . . Somewhere we can talk.”

The Doctor turned in River’s arms, looking at her in surprise. “Quiet?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Doesn’t sound very Doctor River Song to me.”

“Please,” she whispered.

“Alright,” he said. “How about a supernova? There’s a really beautiful one--”

“I know where and when you can find all the most beautiful supernovas,” she interrupted him. “So, please, can I drive?”

The Doctor opened his mouth, ready to protest, but he shut it quickly and stepped aside. She grinned at him.

“Thank you.” She quickly dialed in the coordinates and pulled the lever that sent them into the Time Vortex, flying across time and space.

A few minutes later, the two of them were sitting in the doorway to the Tardis, their feet hanging out into space. River’s head was resting against the Doctor’s shoulders. His head rested on hers. In front of them was one of the most beautiful supernovas he had ever seen. Beautiful colors swirled together as the star continued to explode before them.

“You said you wanted to talk,” he said hesitantly.

“I was just wondering. You said I go to prison.”

“Yes,” he said quietly.

“Can you tell me what prison?”

“Stormcage.”

He felt her nod against his shoulder. “Of course. Is it terrible there?”

“I don’t know,” he replied softly. “You’ve never really said. But you don’t seem to mind.”

“Hmm.” She slipped her arms around her waist and hugged him closer, her eyes still fixed on the sight in front of them. “When do they find me?”

“Oh, not for another few thousand years,” he teased.

“No, really,” she insisted, pulling away to look at him. “Do you know the date, the place?”

He glanced at her curiously. “Why?”

“Because I’m going to want you to take me there.”

“What would I do that for?”

“I don’t want to run. I know I’m going to end up in that prison so I’d rather not prolong the inevitable.”

The Doctor turned back to the exploding star. River frowned. She was having trouble interpreting his expression and his lack of response was irritating. She nudged him slightly.

“So do you know?” she asked.

“Oh, uh-- Yeah. Yeah, I do but . . .” He sighed. “Well, yeah.”

“So you’ll take me?”

“I can’t be seen,” he said hesitantly.

“I know that,” she assured him. “But you don’t have to be. Just take me to where they pick me up.”

The Doctor frowned slightly. “That doesn’t really sound like the River I know.”

“I’m not going to walk up to them like an injured puppy, if that’s what you're thinking,” she replied. "I just don't want to run."

The Doctor looked at her. He had admired her for a long time but she continued to astound him. _She’s a better person than I am in so many ways._ She had just come shooting him. He couldn’t imagine how traumatizing that had been and yet she continued on. After learning he was supposed to die, he had run for centuries trying to escape his future. He had run for three centuries before he was forced to face his fate, and even then he had found a way around it. And yet here she was, having just learned she was meant to go to one of the most well known and secure prisons in the known universe. Her response wasn’t to run, instead, she was asking to be taken there.

Reaching up, he gently took her face in his hand, smoothing his thumb over her soft skin. He pulled her face closer and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. She responded eagerly but pulled away a moment later to whisper, “I love you.”

“Mhm,” the Doctor responded before connecting their lips once more. Something about those three words scared him. He hadn’t dared let himself think about how he was beginning to feel about the woman in his arms. This wasn’t the first time she had told him she loved him. She had mentioned it several times while they were in the pyramids. However, this was the first time she had said it since then. And this was the first time she had said it while they were touching, not to mention sharing a kiss. Something about the intimacy of the moment made him realize the full meaning of those words. Anyone could say those words but he knew River really meant it. And it scared him.

Eventually, River pulled away in favor of snuggling into the Doctor’s side once more. He rested his cheek against her head, glad he didn’t have to look her in the face just yet. He let out a sigh.

“So, how soon are you leaving?” he asked.

“Are you so eager to get rid of me?”

“No, I just-- I was just wondering.”

“I’ll go tomorrow.”

He looked down at her. “So soon?”

She nodded. “I think it’s best if I don’t wait too long.”


	4. A Pond in Prison

About twenty-four hours and two near-death experiences later, the Doctor and River decided it was time to go. Though neither of them would admit it, they were both glad that their two adventures were not included in the twenty-four hours but were, instead, extra time they got to spend together.

River teased the Doctor, saying that he had deliberately landed them places where there was trouble just so they could spend more time together. He scowled in response and grumbled about how it was the Tardis’s fault, kicking at the console to emphasize his point. This earned a chuckle from his wife and he could only grin in response. He knew she was aware of the fact he wasn’t really upset.

“You still haven’t told me,” she said, leaning against a control panel. “Where exactly do they find me?”

“You’re still a student at Luna University. That’s the first place they’ll look and, from what I’ve heard, that’s where they arrest you,” the Doctor explained.

“But I killed you in the past. How do they even know to arrest me at all?”

“From what I understand, the Silence tipped them off. If my information is correct, they were expecting to have to search for you, possibly throughout time as well as space. Naturally, they started their search where you lived and were surprised to find you there.”

“In that case, we had better get me there.”

The Doctor nodded and began flipping switches and pressing buttons, nudging her out of the way as he went past. She just laughed, ignoring the fact that several of the buttons he pressed didn’t need pressing at all.

“I’ll make the Tardis invisible,” he informed her. “So I’ll be here the whole time.”

“Do you think I’m going to need your help being arrested?” she teased.

“No, I just want to make sure they don’t hurt you.”

She laughed again. “It’s not like you could do anything about it if they did. You’re dead, remember? They’re arresting me for killing you. If you appear out of nowhere to stop them, I might end up having to actually shoot you to make sure I end up in prison.”

“I’m not going to do anything, it’s just so I know who to punish later.”

River rolled her eyes. “Just take me home. I’m gonna find something to wear.” 

Seeing as she didn’t know how or when the clothes in her room had gotten there, she figured it was best to just find something from the Tardis’s wardrobe. She made her way down to the room and began going through the many clothes that hung from the racks. She finally found a dress that she liked the look of and slipped into it. She was almost surprised that it seemed to fit her perfectly.

_The Tardis has clothes for everyone_, she thought with a smile. She quickly found a pair of heels that matched and pulled them on. Making her way back to her room, she rummaged around in a drawer until she found what she was looking for. She held the small tube up, running her finger over the “_R.S._” engraved near the bottom. Pulling the cap off, she held the red lipstick up to her nose to smell it. Her lips curled into a cheeky smirk.

Having tucked the tube of lipstick away, she made her way back to the control room. The Doctor looked up as she climbed the steps.

“I thought you were going to prison, not a party,” he laughed.

She flashed him a winning smile. “Is there a difference?”

“River,” he sighed, shaking his head in amusement.

There was a violent shake and they both grabbed onto the console for support. The Doctor began flipping switches and pressing buttons. River followed after him, correcting his mistakes. He glared at her and tried to nudge her away but she ignored him as she proceeded to land the Tardis more gently than it had been landed in a long time.

“Thanks for the ride, Sweetie,” she said as she began making her way towards the doors. He caught her by slipping his arms around her waist and pulling her into a hug. She squirmed in his grasp.

“Did you think I’d just let you run off like that?” he murmured, his mouth near her ear and his voice muffled by his curls.

She turned in his arms to offer him a cheeky smile. “What? You need a goodbye kiss?”

The Doctor quickly let go of her and took a step back, blushing slightly. “N-no. Well, maybe, but there are things I need to tell you.”

“Like what?”

“I’ll be back to see you as soon as I can but the next time you’ll see me, it will be an earlier version.”

“An earlier version?” she said, crossing her arms and giving him a confused look.

“Yes, time travel. You and I never seem to meet in the right order. I’ve known you for a while now but mostly you when you’re older. You’ll see me again soon but it will be a younger version of me; a version who isn’t married to you.”

River pouted. “Why can’t I have you instead?”

He laughed and pulled her back into a hug. “Because it’s too late. I’ve already lived it.”

“Well, you should have waited.”

“I didn’t know what was going to happen, I just wanted to spend time with you. I didn’t know you were married to me. You didn’t tell me.”

“Should I tell you?” she asked.

“No,” he replied quickly. “Spoilers.”

She raised her eyebrows didn’t say anything. Instead, she slipped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. He started before melting into the kiss. River pulled away a moment later.

“How much time do I have?”

“Uhh.” The Doctor checked his watch. “Twenty minutes, I think.”

“Okay. More than enough time to pack a few things.” She pulled out of his arms and started towards the doors once more.

“Pack?” he exclaimed. “You’re going to prison, not on holiday!”

River just laughed. The Doctor moved to make the Tardis invisible but his wife called over her shoulder before he had reached the control panel.

“Don’t touch anything, dear. She’s already invisible.”

Scowling like a grumpy five-year-old, he followed her out of the Tardis. He stopped in the doorway and leaned against the frame. Taking a look around, he realized they must be in River’s office. An amused smile replaced his frown when he realized she had arranged it like a proper office, with a desk in the middle of the room, positioned so that you’d be facing the door while working. A few bookcases lined the walls but there were more books scattered across the floor than there were on the shelves. The books on the floor were all open to different pages and the mess was added to by the files and papers that were strewn haphazardly among them.

River just stepped over the mess on her way to the door.

“Sweetie, could you pick all this up for me?” she said. “Books go on the shelves, files and papers on the desk. I doubt I’ll be coming back here for a long while so it doesn’t really matter that it’ll all be a mess.”

“It’s already a mess,” he pointed out.

“An organized mess,” she said simply before vanishing through the door. Her head appeared around the frame. “Oh, and no reading anything.”

The Doctor let out a sigh and moved to do as she had asked. Ten minutes later, he had stacked all of River’s papers on her desk and organized the books on her shelves by color. Most of the books had been about Archeology or History and, at first, he hadn’t been tempted to read them. However, he had soon realized that all the books were opened to events he had been involved in. He suspected the papers were all about him. His suspicions were confirmed when he spotted his name on several of the pages and he understood why she had told him not to read anything.

River appeared a moment later, carrying a bag in her hand. Her gaze fell on the color-coded bookshelves and she rolled her eyes before moving to set her bag behind her desk.

“Good, you’re done,” she said. “Now, you’d better get inside the Tardis.”

“Right,” he said, scratching his head awkwardly. River pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth before pushing him towards the invisible Tardis. She laughed as he bumped into the doors before snapping his fingers to open them.

“I can’t decide whether it would be funnier if the Tardis was visible or not,” she chuckled.

He frowned before slipping into the Tardis. Letting the doors fall shut behind him, he hurried over to the console. He grabbed the scanner and pulled it around so he could look at the screen. River had taken a seat behind her desk and was straightening the papers he had tried to stack neatly.

When she was done, she turned and the Doctor could see her face. She sat back in her chair, a smirk playing on her lips. Anyone who entered the room would have thought she was staring through the window at the stars beyond. But in reality, her gaze was fixed on the seemingly empty space between herself and the wall where she knew the Tardis was resting.

A moment later, she heard a knock on the door to her flat. Well, it wasn’t so much as a knock as a series of very loud bangs. Someone was pounding on her door and she knew who it was. A voice came from outside.

“Open up!”

River didn’t move. The banging continued before turning into a series of louder, evenly spaced crashes. With one final crash, she heard the door cave in. Footsteps came running through her front room, piling into her office. Her smirk widened as she heard the sound of their guns being raised.

“Hello, boys!” she called before any of them could speak. She could see the look of surprise on their faces from their reflections in the window. She had clearly caught them off guard. “I’ve been expecting you.”

Quickly recovering from their surprise, they raised their guns to aim at her again. One of them spoke.

“River Song, we are arresting you for the murder of the man known as the Doctor,” he said as confidently as he could manage.

Her smirk grew impossibly bigger as her gaze moved from the window to the space in front of her. The Doctor found himself looking directly into her eyes once more.

“The Doctor?” she asked. She winked at him before turning her chair around slowly. When she was facing the soldiers, she offered them an innocent smile and raised an eyebrow. “Doctor who?”

“Stand up,” the man in the center commanded, gesturing with his pistol.

She did so slowly, her smile reverting back to a maddening smirk.

“Hands up.”

She raised her hands above her head, her smile never faltering. She could see that they were getting nervous.

“You’re coming with us,” the commander ordered.

“I thought that would be the case. In fact, I’ve already packed.” She leaned down to pick up her bag, grinning as the soldiers jumped and adjusted their aim.

“I don’t have any weapons,” she said. “Scan me if you like. Scan the bag. I’m unarmed.”

The commander motioned for one of the men to do so. He stepped forward and pulled out a scanner, pointing it at River and her bag. A moment later, he stepped back and nodded at his commander.

“All clear.”

“Good,” River said cheerfully. “Now, shall we be going?”

She stepped around the desk as three of the soldiers came forward. Two of them grabbed her arms and pulled them behind her as the third one snapped handcuffs around her wrists.

“Ooh, handcuffs,” she observed. “Love handcuffs. Good thing to have. Very useful, maybe I should keep a pair in my bag. Might come in handy.”

The Doctor chuckled as River grinned in his direction once more. She winked at one of the soldiers but the Doctor knew that it was meant for him. He felt himself blush and was glad she couldn’t see him, though he was certain she probably knew anyway. Even though she was young, she was still his River.

He waited until he was sure the soldiers had led her out of the flat before leaving. He knew he should probably find something to do on his own but the temptation to spend more time with River was too big to ignore. He quickly dialed in the coordinates that would bring him to Stormcage on a night when he wasn’t already there.

River had been taken to Stormcage and a short trial had been held. They had retrieved her files notebook from the Luna University Library, as well as the papers in her office, to be used as evidence against her. She had been sentenced with twelve thousand consecutive life sentences -- which she thought was a bit extreme -- and was thrown in a cell. Once she was alone, she had pulled out some more comfortable clothes, a pair of tights and a grey tank-top, and had changed into them. Then she dropped onto her cot.

She had managed to convince them to let her have her notebook, arguing that she couldn’t do anything with it, and was now sat on her bed, staring at the marked page. The date sat in the middle of it with a circle around the inked letters and numbers.

_So, it’s over then_, she thought, feeling both relieved and happy. _The Doctor is dead._

A small smile formed on her lips but it changed to a frown as she flipped through the blank pages. _He gave me this. What am I supposed to do with it?_

She turned it back to the page with the date. _Might as well record what happened, just in case I do forget._

A few minutes later, she had settled comfortably, or as comfortably as possible, on her small cot and was scribbling away in the book, writing all about what had just happened and how she had just killed and married the Doctor. As she wrote, the familiar sound of the Tardis engines reached her ears. Looking up, she saw the blue box materializing inside her cell.

A smile formed on her face as she got to her feet and started towards the Tardis. It didn’t matter to her that the Doctor inside it wasn’t her husband yet, she was just glad she could spend time with him again. Besides, if her studies on him were accurate, she knew that time with the Doctor would always be exciting.


	5. Christmas at the Ponds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is rubbish. I was just writing. I can't say I'm proud of it.

After a moment’s hesitation, the Doctor raised his hand and knocked on the Tardis-blue door. A familiar voice came from inside.

“If that is more carol singers, I have a water pistol!”

The Doctor knocked again and she continued.

“You don’t want to be all wet on a night like this!” The door opened and Amy appeared, a water pistol in hand. She froze when she saw him standing there.

After a moment, he spoke. “Not absolutely sure how long . . .” He trailed off, realizing he wasn’t in the best position.

“Two years,” Amy informed him before squirting him in the face with her gun.

He wiped the water off his chin. “Okay. Fair point.”

“So,” she said, looking him up and down. “You’re not dead.”

“And a Happy New Year!” he exclaimed, hoping to ignore the fact that he had let her think he was dead for two years.

She stepped forward and he realized she wasn’t going to let it pass.

“River told us,” she informed him.

He made a face. “Well, of course she did,” he grumbled.

“She’s a good girl,” Amy protested. They stared at each other. “Well? I’m not going to hug first.

“Nor am I,” the Doctor replied obstinately.

They stood there in silence, pointedly avoiding each other’s gaze. Amy fidgeted with her water gun. Eventually, their eyes met and the Doctor couldn’t keep himself from smiling. They both burst into laughter and pulled each other into a tight hug.

“Mr. Pond!” Amy called. “Guess who’s coming for dinner.”

Rory appeared in the hall, pulling a cardigan around himself.

“Oh! Not dead then?” he said.

“We’ve done that,” his wife informed him.

“Oh.”

“We’re about to have Christmas dinner,” she told the Doctor. “Joining us?”

“If it’s no trouble,” the Doctor accepted.

“There’s a place set for you,” Rory said.

The Doctor looked at them in surprise. “But you didn’t know I was coming. Why would you set me a place?”

“Oh, because we always do,” Amy said. Rory pointed at her in agreement. “It’s Christmas, you moron,” she added, squirting water at him once more. She turned to enter the house.

“Come on,” Rory invited.

The Doctor stood on the step for a moment, overwhelmed. Finally, he managed to step into the house. As he turned to shut the door, he reached up to find a tear on his cheek. He wiped it away and stared at his hand. Letting out a quiet laugh, he shut the door and went to join his friends in the front room.

As he entered the room, he saw a figure sitting on the couch. Her back was to him but there was no mistaking the mane of golden curls.

“Look who showed up, Melody!” Amy called.

River turned. Her eyes settled on her husband and she flashed him a suggestive smile.

“Finally admitting you’re alive, are you?” she teased.

“River Song,” he said slowly. He leaned over her so he could whisper into her ear. “You told them,” he accused.

“You can’t expect a girl to just sit there when her mother is crying.”

Moving quickly, she leaned up and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. He jerked back in surprise.

“Amy said two years. If you let them think I was dead for two years, you’re not much better than I am.”

“Oh, I told her ages ago, for her. It was only a few weeks ago for me,” River explained.

“After it happened, we were traveling with you for a bit. Then she told us a few days after you dropped us off at home,” Amy added.

“By the way, where are we, Doctor Song?” he asked.

“I’m assuming you just dropped me off before ending up on an exploding spaceship and crash-landing in World War II England?” she replied. He nodded, only slightly surprised that she knew.

“And you?”

“The last thing I did with you was the Byzantium.”

The Doctor frowned. “That was ages ago.”

“For you maybe. You and Mum were so young. She had never even met me and you didn’t even know I was in prison. It’s kind of amusing, actually.”

River grinned up at him but Rory caught the look in her eyes. A look that was definitely not amusement. More like dread.

_She’s losing him_, he realized. _Soon enough he won’t even know who she is._

But the Doctor didn’t notice anything.

“The Byzantium,” he repeated slowly, moving around the couch so he could sit by her.

“Mhmm. And I believe you promised me something.”

“Did I?”

“Yes. You were a bit too young then. Now that you’re older, though . . .”

Realizing what River was talking about he turned pink and ducked his head. However, before he could come up with a response, she had caught his face in her hand and pulled him into a kiss.

Amy laughed softly as the Doctor froze. Rory shifted uncomfortably as he began to return the kiss, his one hand slipping into her hair as the other settled on her waist. However, River’s hands had begun to wander and Rory forced himself to look away, clearing his throat uncomfortably.

The Doctor pulled back quickly, his face turning bright red at the realization he had been snogging his wife in front of her parents. River just smirked at them, winking at her mother and laughing as her father covered his eyes.

“I really wish you wouldn’t do that,” he groaned.

“Oh, come on,” Amy said, slipping her arms around her husband. “She’s a grown woman. She’s allowed to kiss her husband.”

“Yes, but three years ago, she was a newborn baby and I held her in my arms,” Rory protested. “I think I have the right to be at least a little uncomfortable with this whole situation.”

River laughed, her arm still around her husband’s shoulders.

Amy pressed a kiss to Rory’s cheek before vanishing into the kitchen.

“O-okay then,” he stammered. “Dining room?”

Nodding, the Doctor leapt to his feet and followed him out of the room. River trailed after them. She caught the Doctor by the wrist and stopped him in the doorway.

“You were crying,” she whispered.

“No, I wasn’t,” he hissed.

Letting go of her wrist, she reached up and ran her thumb along his cheek where his tear had been.

“It was just one tear,” he added.

She gave him a look.

“Happy tear.”

River laughed softly. “Ah, I see. You just realized you don’t just have friends, you have a family.”

He looked at the floor and nodded slightly. His wife’s hand was still covering his cheek and she lifted his head. “I think you’ll find that my parents have been your family since long before we got married.”

The Doctor nodded. “Yes, I know that now.”

“Good. And don’t you forget it.”

River stepped forward and pressed a kiss to his lips. The next moment, he found himself pressed between his wife and the doorframe, a position he wouldn’t normally have minded being in if it wasn’t for the fact that Rory was standing a few feet away.

“River,” he hissed between kisses. “Your dad.”

She just pressed her lips against his again, pushing his head against the doorframe. Then she pulled away and stepped into the dining room. The Doctor leaned against the doorframe, trying to catch his breath. Then he stumbled into the dining room. River was already sitting at the table. Rory sat across from her, his face buried in his hands.

“Rory, please control your daughter,” he said breathlessly.

Rory looked up to stare at him incredulously. “I-- She’s _your_ wife!”

River let out a laugh. “Come on, Sweetie. It’s Christmas.” She pulled out the chair beside her and motioned for him to sit. He did so hesitantly. Amy appeared with a plate of food a moment later. She set it on the table and took a seat.

“So, Melody, are you still in prison, or did they pardon you for helping with the Byzantium?” she asked.

River shook her head. “Still no pardon. Too many people died.”

“That was hardly your fault,” Amy protested.

“Yes, well I was the only person to survive the mission. There’s no proof I didn’t kill the four people they sent with me. I mean, they don’t think I did, or at least didn’t accuse me of having done so, but four people out of four people dead is too much to earn a pardon.”

“Hang on, there were eight men on that mission with us,” Amy said.

“Four of whom were eaten by a crack, Amy,” the Doctor reminded her. “They don’t exist.”

“Which is a good thing for me, honestly,” River added. “Otherwise, I may never get a pardon. Eight men dead is worse than four.”

“And how long are you supposed to be in prison for, exactly?” Rory asked.

“Twelve thousand life sentences.”

“What?” Rory exclaimed. “No one even lives that long!”

“I’m twelve thousand,” the Doctor said. “That’s one life sentence for every year I’ve been alive . . . approximately.”

“Isn’t that a bit extreme?” Rory asked.

River shrugged. “I killed the Doctor. That’s a big crime.” She turned to the man in question. “So what made you finally decide to admit you’re alive?”

“A young woman during World War II whose husband was supposedly shot down over the chanel. But it turns out he actually followed her home as she flew me, her children, and an entire forest through the Time Vortex,” he explained, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Of course, compared to some of their previous adventures, it was relatively normal.

Still, Amy looked at him in amused confusion. “What?”

The Doctor began to tell his story as they began their dinner. When he was finished, they all pulled Christmas crackers. The next few minutes were spent reading the jokes and putting on the paper crowns. Rory seemed fine with his orange one. However, Amy snatched the Doctor’s blue one off his head, replacing it with her pink one. River had set hers off to one side but the Doctor picked it up and tried to force it onto her head. This task was made more difficult since River was trying to push him away and the paper crown wasn’t quite big enough to fit over her curls properly.

In response, River began telling her parents about an adventure she had had with him years before, which just so happened to be the last time he had seen her. And, being River, she added just enough details to make the Doctor blush bright red and attempt to hide behind his napkin as Rory began to look increasingly uncomfortable. Of course, both she and Amy found it hilarious and soon enough the four of them were laughing together like a normal family.


	6. Christmas Kisses

They spent the rest of the evening laughing and swapping stories. After dinner, they had moved to the sitting room where they stayed until nearly midnight. Amy and Rory eventually decided it was time to go to bed and offered River and the Doctor a room. However, River was quick to decline, saying that she should get back to prison, though the look she was giving her husband implied otherwise.

Amy just laughed and pulled her daughter into a hug.

“Well, then, Happy Christmas you two,” she said before hugging the Doctor.

“Happy Christmas,” he and River replied in unison.

They both hugged Rory before saying their goodbyes and making their way back to the Tardis. River quickly pressed a few buttons before the Doctor pushed her away from the console.

“I’ll drive. Where would you like to go?”

River watched in amusement as he began rattling off names of many different places, some beautiful, some not so beautiful.

“You haven’t been married to me long,” she said, interrupting his rambling.

“Well, no,” he admitted, a bit startled.

“I can tell,” she grinned. “It’s Christmas. You get to the room. I’ll park us someplace safe and join you momentarily.”

“W-what room?” he stammered.

She just winked at him and went back to flying the Tardis. He stood off to one side, frozen. She nudged him out of the way as she passed and he finally managed to start towards the staircase leading into the ship. When he reached the top of it, he turned to glare at his wife and opened his mouth to say something. Then he closed his mouth and frowned before quickly going down the stairs and making his way through the maze of corridors.

A few minutes later, River appeared in the doorway to her room. As she expected, she found the Doctor hovering over her dresser, looking uncomfortable. Making her way up to him, she slipped her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his lips. He returned the kiss a little more eagerly than he had intended to but everything about her made it difficult to control himself.

When she pulled away, she buried her face in his shoulder, hugging him close. He looked down at her in surprise.

“River, is something wrong?” he asked, pushing her back so he could see her face.

She gave him a curious glance. “Of course not. Why should something be wrong?”

But he could see she was lying. Something about the look in her eyes wasn’t sincere. “River, I haven’t been married to you long but I’ve spent enough time with you since then to know that you don’t hug me we the way you are now. And--”

She interrupted him with another kiss.

“And that’s another thing,” he said when she had pulled away. “You kiss me a lot, but never this much when we’re not . . .” He trailed off, blushing slightly. “Anyway.”

River shrugged. Stepping out of his arms, she caught his hand and began pulling him towards the bed.

“You were too young to kiss me last time I saw you, now I’ve got to make up for it,” she replied. Her tone was joking but her words brought back an image in his mind. The image of her standing in the entrance to her cell, one hand clinging to a bar, her look of surprise quickly turning to one of worry. And the words he was never meant to hear: _And a last time._

“River,” he breathed. He tugged her back into his arms. “I’m sorry.”

She raised her eyebrows. “For what?”

He ignored her and pressed his lips to hers. His one hand slipped into her curls, pulling her closer. He felt her lips pull into a smile against his. One of her arms slipped around his neck as the other moved down his back, her fingers trailing down his spine. The Doctor let the hand that wasn’t in her hair settle on her waist.

River pulled back long enough to mumble something that sounded suspiciously like “bed” before connecting their lips once more and leading him towards the item of furniture in question. They collapsed in a heap on the blankets and she managed to pull his bow tie loose but the Doctor pushed her off of him.

“You need to talk to me, honey,” he said.

“About what?” she huffed.

“I want you to tell me what’s wrong.”

“There’s nothing wrong,” she insisted.

“I’ve got a pretty good guess as to what it is,” he informed her.

“And what would that be?”

“Like you said, last time you saw me, I wasn’t married to you. You couldn’t even kiss me.”

River’s expression suggested she was about to deny it but then her eyebrows knitted into a frown and she sighed in defeat. “I never know when the last time I see you will be. You’re getting younger every time I see you and when I do come across a version of you who is old enough to kiss me goodbye, I’m always afraid that that kiss could be the last.”

“River, I don’t want you to worry about that,” he whispered, pressing his forehead to hers.

“I can’t help worrying,” she admitted. “I--”

He cut her off with a gentle kiss.

“I think we’ll both know when it’s our last kiss,” he said. His mind went what she had told him before sacrificing herself. She had said the last time she had seen him was at Darillium and since he hadn’t been there yet he knew he would be able to kiss her then and that would be her last kiss. Whether she’d know that or not, he wasn’t sure. _I suppose I’m the one who won’t actually know when our last kiss will be_, he realized with a start.

“I suppose you’ve already lived through mine,” she replied dryly.

“No,” he assured her. “This is the oldest version of you I’ve kissed so far, but I’m sure I’ll see you again.”

“How can you know?” she demanded.

“Spoilers,” he whispered.

“But if you haven’t kissed an older version of me, how can you know you will?”

“Just please trust me and don’t worry any more. Okay?”

She nodded slowly, still not convinced. If the Doctor had expected her to continue the conversation, he was very wrong. Instead, in typical River fashion, she grinned at him as if they hadn’t been talking at all and the next moment he found himself unable to think of anything but his wife.

The Doctor tugged River closer, burying his face in her hair. It hadn’t been very long since had last seen her, but the last time they had been together they had spent the whole time running for their lives. It had been a little while since they had been able to lie in bed together.

They had fallen asleep about an hour before and the Doctor had just woken up. River was still sound asleep in his arms. Reaching up, he gently pulled her tangled hair out of her face, trying to tuck it behind her ear. However, the curls made this impossible.

“Happy Christmas, River,” he whispered.

She stirred, moving closer to him. A moment later, she had rolled over, burying her face in his chest. He laughed softly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. But before he could free himself from her grasp to get up and find something to do, she pulled away and her eyes fluttered, not quite opening.

“Sweetie?” she mumbled.

“Go back to sleep, you silly woman,” he breathed. “You need more sleep than I do.”

She pulled him closer, pressing her cheek to his chest once more. He sighed, knowing he wasn’t going to be leaving the bed any time soon. However, he was glad that River was facing him now. He carefully pushed her hair away so he could see her face. It always amused him how peaceful she looked while she was asleep. Her features were relaxed, her lips pulled into a soft smile.

As he watched her, her brows formed a small frown. She began to mutter something unintelligible so he pressed a kiss to the lines between her eyebrows. Her forehead relaxed under his lips and she fell silent, her breath steadying.

The Doctor’s mind went back to the first time he had been kissed by her. The look on her face when she realized he had never kissed her before was still vivid in his mind, even more than two hundred years later.

_How long was it before she got to kiss me again?_ he wondered. _I should ask her when she wakes up._

Now it was his turn to frown. _No. I shouldn’t. I don’t want to ask her and find out that she had to wait several years, thinking she’d never get to kiss me again. Besides, she’d probably just say “spoilers”. Also, if I don’t know, I can still do something about it._

Suddenly, a plan had formed in his mind. A small smile tugged at his lips and he pulled his wife closer. “Oh, River,” he murmured. “There’s nothing to worry about.” He laughed softly and kissed her head again. _Nothing to worry about at all._


	7. Past and Future

The Doctor turned and started back towards the Tardis.

"See you next time. Call me," he suggested.

River watched him, an amused frown on her face.

"What? That's it?" she laughed. "What's the matter with you?"

He turned and came back towards her, his hands held out in mock confusion. "Have I forgotten something?"

A smile spread across her face. _Playing hard to get, are we?_

"Oh, shut up," she grinned.

Quickly catching his head in her hand, she pulled him into a kiss. She felt one of his hands resting on her shoulder. Her own hand moved from his neck to slip under his arm and rest on his back, pulling him closer. Her other hand released its grip on the bar of her cell to rest against his chest. A moment later, she realized his hand had left her arm entirely. Something felt off but she couldn't quite bring herself to break the kiss yet.

When she finally pulled away the look on his face was enough to tell her that something was definitely not right. Her one hand made its way back to grip the cell bar as a means of supporting herself.

"Right. Okay," he said. A flash of lightning lit up his confused expression. "Interesting." He scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"What's wrong?" she asked though she was dreading the answer. "You're acting like we've never done that before."

"We haven't," he replied quickly before scratching his head uncomfortably.

River felt her heart sink; a feeling of dread settling into the pit of her stomach. "We haven't?" she repeated, unconsciously taking a step back.

The Doctor quickly looked at his watch. "Oh, look at the time. Must be off," he rambled. "Um, but it was . . . very nice. It was-- It was good. It was, ah, unexpected."

He clapped his hands together before pointing at her and spinning around. Quickly making for the Tardis. She stared after him, slowly realizing just what this meant for her. He had reached his ship and was fumbling to get the door open. When he had managed, he turned to look at her once more.

"You know what they say," he grinned, looking pleased with himself. "There's a first time for everything."

He raised two fingers to his lips before pointing at her. Then he vanished into the Tardis. River let her hand slid further down the bar, unable to find the strength to keep it up where it had been.

"And a last time," she replied, realizing that this was the start of the end.

She watched numbly as the Tardis began to dematerialize, the familiar sound offering no comfort for the first time in her life. She didn't want to think about the fact that it was over but it was the only thing on her mind. The feeling of his lips still lingered on hers but it wasn't the same. He hadn't returned the kiss and she wished she had realized that sooner. She wished she had known it would be the last. If she had, she would have prolonged the kiss; held him until he returned it, until she had come to terms with the end.

_But I'd have never let him go_, she admitted to herself. _I don't think I'll ever be ready to let him go._

She felt tears pricking the corners of her eyes but she refused to let them fall. She had always known this would happen, though she had never let herself think about it. Now she had to face it and she there was no point in crying about it. But the tears were still there, waiting to fall.

River reached up to wipe her eyes, trying to be angry with herself. She let out a heavy sigh. Letting go of the bar, she had just begun to turn back to her cell when the wheezing sound of the Tardis returned to her ears. She spun back around quickly, her eyes widening when she saw the blue box materialize right where it had been a few seconds before.

She briefly wondered how long he'd been gone, but she suspected it was most likely a younger version, even younger than she had ever seen him. Part of her was glad for a chance to see him again, by the rest wasn't ready. She still felt like she was about to be sick and wasn't sure she'd be able to face her husband without throwing her arms around his neck and snogging him to death.

_Well, he's never had good timing._

As soon as the Tardis was solid, the door opened and the Doctor stumbled out. He looked far too excited as he bounded up to her so she put on a smile, hoping it didn't seem too forced. When her husband had stopped in front of her, he grinned down at her, barely able to contain his excitement. She raised her eyebrows and opened her mouth to say something but he interrupted her before she could say a word.

"You're wrong."

She blinked up at him. "Wrong?" she stammered. "About what?"

"Our timelines," he said proudly. "They're not so back to front as you seem to think."

Before she could even process what he meant, he had caught her face in his hands and pulled her into a kiss. This time it was her turn to freeze in surprise but the Doctor didn't let go. Instead, one hand buried itself in her hair to pull her closer, pressing his lips firmly against hers until she finally managed to respond. When she finally got over the shock of being suddenly kissed by the man she thought she'd never kiss again, she raised a hand to his cheek, moving it to the back of his head to let her fingers run through his soft hair. Her other hand moved to his back to pull him against her. She felt the hand that wasn't in her hair move from her cheek to settle on her waist.

Her lips parted against his as the kiss deepened. Even though she had kissed him several times in the last year, it had been quite some time since he had kissed her like this. His lips were pressed firmly against hers but the kiss was still gentle. Passionate, yet sweet. He seemed to be pouring everything he had in that kiss but she couldn't complain. She realized that her tears had somehow made their way down her cheeks but she couldn't bring herself to care.

Eventually, she was forced to pull away, gasping for air. The Doctor just grinned down at her as she caught her breath. His hands settled around her waist, holding her close so she rested her head against his chest, listening to the beats of his hearts.

"What are you doing here?" she asked once her breathing had steadied.

"I came to make sure you didn't have to wait too long thinking you'd never get to kiss me again." He frowned slightly. "I hope I didn't come too late. How long ago did I leave?"

A smile spread across her face. "You haven't been gone a minute," she breathed. Her hand made its way to straighten his bow tie. It was an automatic motion and she wondered if she would be able to keep herself from doing it when he was too young to be comfortable.

"Good," the Doctor said. He sounded relieved. "I guess the Tardis wouldn't let me get this wrong. She likes you too much."

River smirked at him. She moved to pull him into a kiss before hesitating. "Where are you?"

"I've done Utah, if that's what you're worried about," he replied.

She let out an involuntary gasp, unable to hide her relief at being able to see a version of her husband who was actually her husband once more. She had been so afraid that it was over, she could barely believe it wasn't. The next moment, she had thrown her arms around his neck and pulled him back in for another kiss. The Doctor responded willingly but pulled away a few moments later. When she tried to pull him back, he just laughed.

"You don't have to kiss me like you're never going to kiss me again," he chuckled. "It's not over yet."

"How would you know?" she demanded.

He grinned at her. "Spoilers."

"Doctor," she warned.

"Okay, I've just come from dropping off a future version of you," he admitted. "Happy?"

"Only if you kiss me again," she teased.

"I know you refused to come with me a few minutes ago, but is there anything you can say to change your mind and convince you to join me in the Tardis?"

"No," she replied.

He looked disappointed.

"Anything I can do?"

She shook her head and he pouted. He kissed her again, his fingers trailing down her back and her bare shoulders. She felt herself shudder under his touch and knew they needed to get away before things got too out of hand. After all, they were standing in the middle of the most secure prison in the universe and she was supposed to be locked up.

River returned the kiss, letting her own hands wander over the Doctor's sides and back, making him squirm in her grasp. She laughed as he pulled away, giving her a pleading look.

"You're sure you won't change your mind?" he begged.

"Of course not. I can't change my mind if I've already decided to come with you," she said. Before he could say anything, she had pulled out his grasp and pushed past him, sauntering into the Tardis. She began pushing buttons, choosing a destination where she hoped they wouldn't get into trouble. A moment later, the door opened and the Doctor came in.

"I really hate you sometimes," he said.

"I know you do," she laughed. "I'm gonna have to do something about that."

As soon as the door closed behind her husband, she pulled the lever and the Tardis took off. Moving around the console, she looked up at her husband and smirked. "And the sooner the better."


	8. Answering a Call

The Doctor stared at the coordinates written on the psychic paper. He knew who had sent them; it wasn't hard to work out. Only one person was in the habit of sending him messages this way, of summoning him with space-time coordinates scattered across the universe or suddenly appearing on the psychic paper in his pocket. Also, the coordinates led to her flat on Luna.

Quickly shoving the paper back in his pocket, he darted towards the Tardis console and entered the coordinates into the ship. The Tardis seemed to hum with excitement when she realized where they were going. He let out a laugh.

“It's been a while since we've seen her, hasn't it?” he chuckled. “I wonder what kind of trouble she's got for us this time.”

River set down her pen but her eyes didn't leave the page. She stared at the words she had just written, tears stinging her eyes and blurring her vision. She quickly wiped them away. There were already enough smudged words on the page.

She finally looked up as the familiar sound of the Tardis filled the room. She quickly snapped the worn book shut before turning to watch as the blue box materialized in her front room. A moment later, the Doctor sauntered out, a huge grin on his face. She smiled back at him.

Getting up from her seat at her kitchen table, she moved forward. Her husband stopped in front of her.

“Professor Song, I believe,” he said, glancing around the room. “Unless you've broken into her house.”

“Oh, shut up,” she laughed. It came out a bit forced but if the Doctor noticed that, he didn't react. “Where are you?”

“Standing in my wife's apartment, I believe,” he teased.

She hit him in the arm. “You know what I mean.”

“Okay, I just--”

River cut him off. “Wait, you said wife.”

“Yes, but that doesn't really tell you when--”

“That's enough for now.”

He looked at her in surprise. “Is whatever you called me for that urgent?”

“No, it just only required you being my husband.”

“What requires that?”

The Doctor shifted uncomfortably as his wife's smile shifted into a smirk. Before he had completely realized what she meant, she had thrown her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. He responded a few moments later, resting a hand on her hip and burying the other in her golden curls.

She pressed closer to him, one hand gripping his jacket as the other moved up into his hair.

“River?” he managed. She shushed him and pulled him closer.

Several hours later, the Doctor found himself watching the face of his sleeping wife. It always fascinated him how peaceful and innocent she looked when she was asleep. But this time something was wrong. Her usually peaceful face was tense. She looked like she was about to cry. 

He pulled her closer to him and pushed a few of her curls out of her face. Her frown deepened so he let his hand settle over her jaw, his thumb smoothing over her cheek. Her face relaxed a bit, but she still didn't look happy.

Letting out a sigh, he carefully pulled himself out of her grasp and climbed out of the bed. He got dressed, not bothering to tie his bow tie, and made his way towards the door. It was already half-open. His hand settled on the doorknob but he hesitated and turned back to the room.

He had been to River's house a few times before but only to stop by for a few minutes for her to pick something up before rushing back into the action. This was, surprisingly, the first time he had been in her bedroom.

He wasn't sure how long she had been living there but he didn't think it could have been long. Her room didn't look lived in enough. The only light was from a lamp on one of the bedside tables that they had neglected to turn off but it was enough to see the room. There were a couple of bookshelves in it but only a few books on each shelf. Not nearly enough for someone like River. The walls of the room were painted a shade of light grey, nearly white, and the dresser only held a fraction of the little personalized things he was used to seeing in her room on the Tardis.

The Doctor's eyes fell on the bed. It was in the middle of the room against the wall across from the door. There were windows to the left of it, covered with grey curtains. The bed itself was covered with cream-colored sheets that were currently tangled around their sleeping owner.

He couldn't see much of his wife from his position. The only thing he could see was her tangled mess of hair. But it was enough to make him think.

It had been a long time, a very long time, since he had had a family. And yet here he was, with a wife and with her parents, who just happened to be his best friends. He could still barely believe it. The thing that scared him most was the realization that he wanted this and that he had to admit that he cared deeply for the woman curled up in the bed in front of him. And he was terrified of losing her. The worst thing was, he knew he already had and it was only a matter of time before he ran out of time with her.

Tearing his eyes away from the bed, he turned the light out and left the room. He was tempted to go into the Tardis and leave, just to collect his thoughts. It would be easy enough to get back before River woke up. But something made him hesitate. He knew something was upsetting her. She hadn't been herself all night. She had been too quiet; hadn't spoken to him nearly enough. She hadn't even bothered doing diaries, or at least attempting to. They rarely made it far these days. But it wasn't just that she wasn't herself, he realized that she was being the River Song she wanted the universe to see, not the River he has seen every other time they had been alone together. The River who cared, who was so compassionate, who loved so fiercely that it had scared him.

The Doctor's eyes fell on the battered blue journal lying on the kitchen table. He felt certain that whatever was bothering her was probably written on one of the worn pages, she had been holding it when he got there, but he knew he couldn't betray her trust.

Moving towards the table, he ran his fingers over the cover. The last time he had seen the book, it had been close to new. Only a few pages had been filled. Now it looked so much more like the book he had seen all those years ago when he had first seen it being pulled out of a backpack in the Library. The color was faded and the pages were wrinkled. He knew that much of the writing inside was faded. The spine was cracked, though not as much as he knew it would be.

Gently straightening the journal, he picked up the pen and capped it before laying it beside the book. Then he moved across the room to a bookshelf and choose one of the few books that weren't about archaeology. Settling down on the couch, he opened it up and began to read.

River woke up a few hours later, not surprised to find herself alone. She rolled over onto her back to stare at the ceiling, letting out a heavy sigh. She suspected that he was long gone. It wouldn't be the first time.

She raised a hand to push a few curls out of her face, hating that she felt her tears forming once more. She had hoped that her young, silly Doctor would help, and it had, a bit, but she should have known it would have been worse when she woke alone.

A few minutes later, she was dressed in a long, pale-blue, button-up shirt. Her hair was still a mess but she had managed to tie most of it out of her face. She made her way out of her room and down the stairs. Halfway down the steps, she froze in her tracks. She could hear someone in her kitchen.

She was back in her room in a flash, snatching her gun from where she kept it in a drawer. A moment later, she was creeping down the staircase, gun held ready. She flattened her back against the wall and took a deep breath to calm herself before jumping out and leveling her gun at the intruder’s head.

The Doctor looked up and offered her a smile.

“You're lucky it's just me or I'd have been quite upset that some random stranger was seeing my wife without her trousers on,” he teased. “Of course, if I wasn't here and someone else was, I suppose I wouldn't actually know . . .”

He trailed off, frowning at his own realization and River took the moment to collect herself. Despite the suspected danger of an intruder in her house, she was still half asleep and her husband had been the last person she had expected to see. She opened her mouth to say something but the Doctor spoke first.

“Do you ever get anyone breaking into your house?” he asked.

“You may be surprised to hear that you're the first,” she said, tossing her gun onto an armchair and moving towards the table. “What are you doing here?”

“You called me,” he replied, glancing at her curiously. “Or have you forgotten about last night?”

“N-no, it's just--” River dropped into a chair. “Usually you leave before I wake up.”

“I've never spent a night at your house before.”

Her mouth opened to reply but she shut it quickly when she realized she didn't know what to say. Then she closed her eyes and covered them with a hand.

“Of course you haven't,” she groaned. Her free hand fell on her diary. “I should have checked. Sorry.”

The Doctor let out a sigh. “It's fine. Tea?”

River offered him a smile but he could see it was forced. She nodded and he passed her a steaming mug. She sipped the contents gratefully.

“I'll make us some breakfast,” he offered.

She managed a smirk. “Thanks, but I think I'd prefer it if you didn't burn down my kitchen.”

He gave her his ‘why-are-you-offending-me’ look. “You know I can cook,” he protested.

Then he saw the look at her face and scowled at her.

“Shut up,” he huffed.

A few minutes later, the two of them were sitting across from each other, eating breakfast.

“River, how long have you been living in this flat?”

She shrugged. “A few years. Why?”

“I don't know, it just-- Well, this part of the house looks fine but your room . . . It doesn't look like you've lived there long. There isn't enough of your stuff there. I mean, I've got more of your stuff on the Tardis than you've got in your room.”

“And that would be why it's not in my room,” she smirked.

He blushed and looked back at his plate.

“Where are my parents?” she asked. “I mean, if you brought them with you, they'd have shown up by now.”

“And your father would be holding me at sword point,” he laughed. “No, they're at home. I'm not sure they've quite forgiven me for pretending I was dead.”

River nodded and the Doctor watched as she slowly finished her food. He waited until she was done before taking her plate to the sink and washing it. Then he poured another cup of tea. When he turned back to her, he found her staring at the cover of her journal. After setting the mug in front of her, he sat down and rested a hand on hers. She jumped slightly.

“River, are you okay?”

She looked up at him. “Why wouldn't I be?”

“You just don't look it.”

“I'm fine,” she said.

He got to his feet and made his way around the table to her.

“Honey, if something's wrong--”

“Nothing's wrong,” she interrupted, getting to her feet and slipping her arms around his neck. “Now, why don't you take me back upstairs? It's not often I get to see my husband in the morning.”

“River,” he groaned. She pulled out of his grasp.

“Sorry. Sometimes I forget that we don't meet in the right order,” she lied. “Maybe you're still a bit too young.”

He moved forward but she took a step back and offered him a smile.

“Just go. I'll call you the next time I'm getting shot at. Then I'll be able to tell you something's wrong since that's the only question you seem capable of coming up with this morning.”

The Doctor sighed.

“Whatever it is, I'm sorry,” he said. “I wish I could help.”

River let him press a gentle kiss to her lips before he made his way into the Tardis. As soon as the Doctor had shut the doors behind him, he switched on the scanner so he could see his wife. She had taken her seat at the table once more and was bent over her tea. She was cradling the mug in her hands but had made no move to pick it up. Something was wrong, he only wished he knew what.

Letting out a sigh, he pressed a few buttons and pulled the lever that sent the Tardis spinning into the Time Vortex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm nearly out of River/Eleven ideas and I need a few more stories in between this one and another one so if you have anything you'd like me to write, please let me know and I'll see if I end up doing it. Thanks!


	9. Escaping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a shorter chapter.

River looked up as the Tardis appeared outside her cell. Grinning, she jumped to her feet and reached under her cot for her utility belt and vortex manipulator. After buckling the former around her waist and strapping the latter to her wrist, she quickly picked the lock on her cell, ignoring the alarms that started the moment she did.

As soon as the door was open, she slipped into the Tardis and moved towards her husband. He was darting around the console, setting a destination before pulling the lever. Once they had taken off, he danced away from the controls.

"Hello, there," he smiled, tapping her on the nose as he went past. "How's prison?"

"Better now that I'm not in it," she said, following him as he made his way towards the stairs leading down to the space under the glass floor. He began fiddling with the wires, connecting them experimentally, and sending sparks flying everywhere. She stopped on the last step and leaned against the rail. "What are you doing?"

"I ran into some trouble after my last . . . ah . . . adventure. Tardis decided to--" He broke off as the cables sparked. He jumped before reaching for another two wires.

"Don't!" River called as he brought the two wires together. They touched and a shower of sparks rained down over his head. She let out a groan. "You just-- You just deleted half the wardrobe."

"Oops."

She stepped towards him. "Give it here. I'll fix it." Taking one of the wires from him, she reached for another and touched the two ends together. Only a few sparks snapped between them. "There we go. Maybe I should handle repairs."

"Okay, fine. The-- uh--"

"I can see what's wrong, Sweetie," she interrupted, nudging him out of the way. "It'll be done in two minutes. But next time, don't fly so close to the supernova."

"I didn't do it on purpose!"

"So, where were you planning on taking me today?"

"It's a surprise. Telling you would ruin it."

River continued touching wires together as she spoke. "No, not telling me would ruin it because we'd never get there. Or we'd get there and end up being shot at."

"That's not going to happen," the Doctor protested.

"It always does."

"Not this time!"

"Uh huh. And what makes you so sure?"

"Because we're going to one of the most peaceful planets in the universe," he replied smugly.

She raised an eyebrow at him before touching two more wires together.

"There we go. All done," she declared. She made her way up the stairs to the console and began pressing buttons, but the Doctor nudged her away.

"I'll drive. You've got five minutes to get dressed," he informed her.

She let out a dramatic sigh. "One day you'll get it right," she muttered. When she saw his ears turn pink, she smiled smugly at the back of his head before turning to go find a change of clothes.

When she returned, her husband looked up and grinned at her. "We're there."

"I hope we are."

"Don't you trust me?"

"No. And if anything goes wrong tonight, you're going to owe me."

"Fine, because nothing's going to happen."

"You owe me," River said once she had shut the Tardis doors behind them.

"No, I don't!"

"You said nothing was going to happen," she smirked as she began flying the ship. "And I don't think that being chased across a city is nothing then--"

"It's not nothing," he agreed. "I know that. But nothing would have happened if you hadn't tried to steal from the restaurant!"

"They had no idea how valuable those gems were," River shrugged. "They had them out on display as if they were cheap rocks."

"Well, obviously they knew something or they wouldn't have sent the entire police force after us!" the Doctor snapped. "We can't ever come back here."

"Nonsense. Just come back to an earlier time."

"But this is the most interesting time!" he whined.

"You're just trying to distract me from the fact that you now owe me," she laughed.

"Owe you what?"

"I have yet to decide." River smirked at him as she stepped away from the console. "Now, you cost me a lot of money today so you're gonna have to start making it up to me," she purred as she slung one arm around his neck. Her other hand settled on the small of his back, her fingers dancing along his spine. He squirmed uncomfortably in her arms before finally letting his own settle around her waist. She stretched up to press a kiss to his lips.

One of his hands left her hip to tangle itself in her mane of curls. She opened her mouth slightly and he deepened the kiss. Her lips pulled into a smile against his. She pulled back with a breathless laugh before kissing him again.

"I should probably be getting back to prison," River sighed. "I've been traveling with you for several months now. And you should probably be getting back to my parents."

"This is a time machine," the Doctor protested. He pulled his wife closer. "It doesn't matter how long we spend here."

"Even then, I try to avoid spending too much time away from prison. I don't expect you to understand. As for you, you don't need to get back to my parents because they're waiting for you, you need to get back to them because you're not good on your own."

Before she could move he rolled onto her, pinning her between herself and the mattress. "Surely it can wait an hour or so."

"As much as I'd love to stay with you, Sweetie, I promised I'd stay in that prison. I'm supposed to be making sure the universe still thinks you're dead since you're doing a rubbish job of it yourself." He looked disappointed so she let her lips curl into a smirk. "But you're right," she whispered huskily. "It can wait a few hours."

It ended up being more than a few hours before they managed to pull themselves out of bed. Even then, it was a little while before they found themselves in the control room, River skillfully piloting the Tardis to land a few hours after they had left.

The Doctor followed his wife through the doors and across the prison hall to her cell.

"You sure you don't want to stay with me at least until after I go visit your parents?" he asked.

She nodded. "Of course. I've been gone long enough."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "You've been gone a few hours."

"Uh huh. And for someone who's supposed to be in prison, that's a long time."

"Hmm." The Doctor shrugged. He gently slipped his arms around her waist. "Well, I'll see you later then."

She hummed in agreement before pressing her lips to his again. Her hand made its way to tangle in his hair before gently settling on his cheek. As one of his hands buried itself in her curls, she moved her free hand to his back to pull him closer. They continued kissing for several minutes longer than was probably wise but neither of them cared.

They finally pulled apart, sighing softly. River stepped back into her cell and pulled the door closed. The Doctor soniced it locked behind her.

"Well, then. Call me if you need me."

"I always do," River smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder that any suggestions for ideas would be great. Otherwise, I'll just have to keep going I'm gonna be running out of Eleven/River content.
> 
> Also, for the record, I'm not sure if I like this chapter.


	10. Visiting Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's some more shameless, plotless fluff for you. And, for once, I actually like this chapter. I hope you do too.

The Doctor wasn't sure if sneaking into his wife's room in the middle of the night would go over well with her but he found he didn't really care. He had just dropped off the Ponds and had managed to land in her front room without, he hoped, too much noise. To be perfectly honest, he was curious to see what a sleepy River would do if she found him there. In retrospect, it might have been a good idea to consider what had happened the last time she had found him in her house, even after having invited him.

The Doctor crept up the stairs, gently pushing the door to her room open. Soft light filtered through the curtains, illuminating the room in a silver glow. He could see his wife's mess of curls poking above the covers as she lay curled up on one side of the bed. Bending over, he tugged his shoelaces loose and quietly slipped out of his shoes. Then he pulled off his jacket, draping it over the bed frame. His bow tie and braces quickly followed.

Pulling a section of the blanket away, he eased himself into the bed beside River, slipping his arm around her waist. The next moment, he found himself flat on his back with his wife's silhouette above him, her left arm across his neck and her right fist raised, ready to strike. Her curls framed her face, glowing silver in the dim light. That same light glinted in her eyes, making them glow green like a cat ready to pounce. The Doctor found himself entranced by how beautiful she was, even as she was choking him to death.

"River!" he gasped out. His hands pawed at her arm, trying to pull it away from his windpipe.

The slightly manic light faded from her eyes.

"Doctor?" she breathed. She let her arms relax and they dropped to her sides, but she remained hovering over him. "What are you doing here?"

"Or hello, Sweetie," he grinned up at her. "That's usually the greeting I get from you." He frowned. "Actually, it's either that or a slap."

River laughed, the sound filling the room and making his hearts beat faster.

"Well, then." She leaned down so her curls were brushing against his cheeks and her breath danced across his lips as she spoke. "Hello, Sweetie," she whispered.

He grinned up at her before she closed the distance between them. He tangled a hand in her hair as their lips moved together. Tugging her closer, he tried to roll them over but she wouldn't let him. Instead, she pushed him further into the mattress, deepening the kiss.

When she finally pulled away, breathless, he raised a hand to touch her jaw.

"Thanks for not slapping me," he whispered.

"Well, I did try to strangle you," she replied, shifting off of him so she could lie down beside him. "I thought I might as well give you a break."

"You've got excellent reflexes," he said.

"Thank you, Sweetie."

"From what I understand, you don't generally have people breaking into your house, but I'd say that was a very practiced move."

"Not so much practice as instinct," she shrugged. "It's the psychopath in me. If I had been awake, my response wouldn't have been anywhere near as smooth, or potentially deadly, since I've learned to control my psychopathic instincts, but when I'm asleep, my body reacts the way it was trained to."

A wave of guilt washed over the Doctor at her words, as it always did when she mentioned her conditioning. There was a part of him that wished he could go back to that fateful day at Demons Run and not make the mistakes that had cost Melody Pond a normal childhood. But he knew it was impossible. If he hadn't lost, if he had managed to save Melody from the Silence, the universe would have been a very different place, the Doctor would have been a very different man, and River Song would not have existed. She would have grown up as Melody Pond with two loving parents. Her first regeneration would have lasted longer and, even if she did end up looking like she did now, even if she chose to use the name written on the prayer leaf she was given as a baby, she wouldn't be the same River Song because, even though each regeneration came with a new personality, those personalities were rooted in the experiences of all the past regenerations.

And of course, if River didn't go through life exactly as she had, she wouldn't be at the Library to save him. The Doctor knew that, even without her calling him, he would have ended up on that planet one day, determined to save the 4,022 people trapped in the Data Core. And if River wasn't there he would have sacrificed himself, would have died, and would never have met Amy and Rory. If the Ponds hadn't traveled in the Tardis, Melody wouldn't have been conceived in the Time Vortex and would have been completely human. She might not even have been named Melody, considering Amy had unknowingly named her after herself. And there was the chance that she might never have been born since she was the one who had pushed her parents together in the first place.

The Doctor knew his and River's lives were a tangled, timey-wimey mess and there was nothing anyone could do to pull them apart without completely reshaping the entire universe, past and future. It was that thought that let him push away his guilt and smile at his wife.

"I think you could have killed me just as easily if you were awake, but I'll remember that for the next time I stop by while you're asleep."

River raised an eyebrow suggestively. "There's a next time?"

The Doctor slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. "If you like."

She responded with a kiss.

____

The next time the Doctor stopped by River's house during the middle of the night, he was a bit more careful as he crawled into her bed. However, when he touched her, she just rolled over, blinking at him sleepily. Her lips curled into a sleepy smile at the sight of him and he smiled back.

"Hello, Sweetie," she mumbled.

"Not attacking me, are we?" he teased.

She hummed softly. "I'm getting used to you waking me up like this."

"Do I do it a lot?"

She nodded, her eyes fluttering shut as she did so. "You haven't done it much yet, have you?"

"Only once. You nearly took my head off."

"In my defense, it was the first time you'd done that," she replied.

"Hmm. At least we shared that first. I was hoping to keep my visits linear but I've messed that up tonight," he grumbled. "It would certainly have made things easier."

"It would, but when is anything in our lives ever linear?"

The Doctor let out a sigh. "I suppose you're right."

River's eyes opened so she could peer at him through her lashes. "Besides, it's more fun this way."

"If you say so," her husband huffed.

She closed her eyes again and he took the opportunity to wrap his arms around her, pulling her closer so he could kiss her. She hummed against his mouth before parting her lips so he could deepen the kiss. Rolling on top of him, her fingers toyed with the top button of his shirt.

They broke the kiss and she rested her chin on her arms which were crossed against his chest. He twisted his head to an awkward angle in an attempt to see her face. She let out a snort of laughter as he did.

"Were you awake when I came in?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I'd been asleep for a few hours. And don't bother apologizing. You're not the worst sight to wake up to."

The Doctor shifted out from under his wife that way he could study her face properly. He was glad to see that she looked happy. The only lines on her face were a result of the content smile that graced her lips. Even though she was still blinking at him sleepily, her eyes were devoid of the heavy tiredness and sorrow that he had often caught glimpses of behind her flirtatious exterior, especially when visiting these older versions of her.

"Are you just going to keep staring at me?" she asked a few minutes later.

He started, blinking at her in surprise. "Uh-- Uh, no."

"Well, then. Are you going to be useful? Because I might just be very cross with you if you woke me up in the middle of the night for no reason."

His eyes widened and, even in the dark, she could see the blush form on his cheeks. She smirked at him as he swallowed uncomfortably. She loved how easy it was to make him blush, even though he was already lying in her bed. Letting out a soft laugh, she let her fingers slide into his hair as she pulled him back for a kiss. This time, when her fingers found his shirt buttons, she didn't hesitate to undo them.

____

The Doctor continued visiting his wife at her house in between adventures with her parents and younger versions of herself. Sometimes she woke up violently, nearly killing him. Other times she would roll over to offer him a sleepy smile and reassure him that she wasn't going to be trying to hurt him. There were also many times when she would start awake the moment he climbed on the bed or the moment he touched her, sitting up suddenly and whirling to face him, but not making an effort to defend herself until she had verified that he was merely her husband and not someone out to kill her. He supposed these times were between the others for her, a transitioning stage as she adjusted to his nightly visits, but he didn't bother to ask. Spending a night with his wife was still an adventure but it was different from the ones he was going on with her younger self, a kind of adventure that didn't require knowing when in their tangled timelines they were. After all, they didn't have to worry about accidentally giving each other spoilers when their tongues were busy fighting each other in a heated kiss.

The Doctor slipped under the covers one night and was surprised when River's only response was to snuggle closer to him. He let a hand settle on her bare arm and she rolled over, but her eyes didn't open. Instead, she buried her face in his chest, humming contentedly in her sleep. He let out a quiet chuckle, pulling her closer to bury his nose in her hair. He breathed in her scent, letting the smell wash over him, filling his senses, and calming him. He loved the way she smelled like an old library, however ironic that might be, and like dust and outdoors and time itself. He loved the way the scent of time clung to her, claiming her as its own. It was what made her smell like River and he couldn't imagine her without it.

"Good night, River," he breathed into her curls before letting himself drift off to sleep.

When he woke up, River was still asleep in his arms. As he stared down at her, a part of him wished he could have a normal relationship with his wife, one that would let him wake up to this sight every morning. But he knew it was impossible. He knew that even if time would let them be together, his own personality wouldn't let him stay still long enough for waking up each morning with his wife to become normal.

He was ready to get out of bed and sneak back downstairs before River woke up like he always did but her eyes fluttered open when he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"My mouth's a bit lower, Sweetie," she mumbled.

He let out a quiet laugh before gently pressing a kiss to her lips. She responded and they kissed slowly, still half asleep. It was a little while before their lips parted.

"It's not every day I get to wake up to my husband kissing me," she smiled. "Is it my birthday?"

"Is it?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I don't think so."

He chuckled and kissed her again.

"Good morning, my love," she said, her breath dancing across his lips.

"Good morning," he replied.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came in the middle of the night like I always do," he replied, his fingers toying with the fabric of her pajama shirt under the blankets. "You just didn't wake up."

"Hmm." River pulled out of his grasp, raising her arms above her head in a stretch. "Well, yesterday was exhausting," she yawned. As her body relaxed again, she threw her arm around her husband. "But I slept well."

"Do you have time to sleep in?"

"Well, it is a Sunday," she replied, rolling on top of him. "What do you think?"

The Doctor looked up into his wife's eyes. Her hair was framing her face, the wild curls tumbling over her shoulders and tickling his jaw. A small smirk played on her lips but he loved how sleepy she still looked. He smiled up at her.

"I think you need to take off that tank top," he said, blushing at his own boldness.

Her smirk widened. "That's more like it," she teased before bowing her head to kiss him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I am not apologizing for my timey-wimey tangent. (I honestly don't think any of you care, I just wanted to say "timey-wimey tangent". I mean, doesn't it sound great? Try saying it five times fast. Timey-wimey tangent. Timey-wimey tangent. Timey-wimey tangent. Timey-wimey tangent. Timey-wimey tangent.)
> 
> Anyway, IMPORTANT opinion time:  
Do you think I should write another Christmas story because I have an idea for one but I don't know if I like it or want to write it. However, if you want me to write it, I will.
> 
> Also, if you want more Eleven/River, you're going to have to give me ideas because, besides the Christmas story which I may or may not write, I've only got one more plotline with them. That will be two or three stories and then I'm done with River and Eleven. I'll just have one more plotline with Eleven before I get to the Twelve/River stuff, which I haven't planned yet, I should do that. Anyway, give me ideas for more Eleven/River if you want it. Thanks!


	11. Dealing With the Loss

River carefully piloted the Tardis away from the graveyard. The Doctor watched from where he sat slumped on a step. Her face was expressionless and he suddenly realized that she must be feeling just as bad, or worse than he was.

“River, they were your parents,” he apologized. “I'm sorry, I didn't think.”

She looked between the controls and the monitor but didn't turn towards him. “It doesn't matter,” she said, ignoring the lump forming in her throat. _It really doesn't. I'll see them again_, she tried to remind herself, but it didn't make the feeling go away.

“Of course it matters,” the Doctor insisted.

“What matters is this,” she said quickly, hoping to change the topic. “Doctor, don't travel alone.”

“Travel with me, then.”

A genuine smile formed on her lips. “Whenever and wherever you want,” she promised. The Doctor offered her a small smile. She straightened up to fiddle with the monitor. “But not all the time. One psychopath per Tardis, don't you think?” She glanced at him, forcing a smirk in the hopes it would lighten the mood. His expression didn't change.

River's hands stilled on the controls. She let out a sigh before turning to look at her husband. “Okay. This book I've got to write -- Melody Malone. I presume I send it to Amy to get it published?”

The Doctor ran a hand over his face. “Yes. Yes,” he agreed.

She started towards him. “I'll tell her to write an afterword. For you.” She had passed him and climbed the stairs as she spoke but she stopped and turned to look at the back of his head. “Maybe you'll listen to her.”

River turned again and made her way out of the control room, pausing in the doorway as she heard her husband gasp, “The last page!” and turning to watch him leap to his feet before quickly landing the Tardis and bolting out the door. As the door closed behind him, she let out a heavy sigh and started into the depths of the ship, quickly finding her room. Not even bothering to take off her shoes, she threw herself on the bed and buried her face in a pillow. Hot tears spilled down her cheeks.

She hated crying, hatred herself for crying, but she couldn't stop. She had never had a normal relationship with her parents and hadn't seen them often once she had become River Song. And most of the time, they hadn't even known who she was. But despite that, they had grown up together and had been close. Even as children, she had always felt like their daughter. They had almost always treated her that way, even though they thought she was just their best friend.

She knew crying was ridiculous. Her Vortex Manipulator could still get her into 1938 New York so she'd still be able to see her parents. Besides, she was going to be taking her book to her mother. But no matter what she told herself, her tears wouldn't stop because, in a way, her parents were gone. They would never go on an adventure in the Tardis again. Never again would they see the stars, visit exotic planets, help shape the past, help change the future. Never again would they walk through the halls of the Tardis, laughing at the Doctor's silliness, sharing his experiences. It was all over. And even though River and her husband hadn't had a chance to compare diaries, she suspected that she had already lived through every adventure he had shared with both her _and_ the Ponds.

It was several minutes before she was able to pull herself together. Pushing herself up, she climbed off the bed and changed into more comfortable clothes. She had tied her hair up earlier but her crying had let a number of curls escape. After gently tugging her hair free, she gathered it all, doing her best to get all the stray curls, and tied it back once more.

River left her room and quickly made her way to the library. She found a blank notebook and a pen and curled up in a comfy chair. Lifting the cover, she stared at the blank page. _If I’ve got to do this I might as well have fun while I’m at it_, she told herself. _Make it something the Doctor will want to read._

A small smirk formed on her lips as her pen touched the paper. A few minutes later, she was lost in her work as she wrote out the story of the last few days. In a way, it was a relief to go over the events as she was, pushing all her emotions out of the way and just recalling exactly what had happened, and exactly what had been said. Luckily, she had an excellent memory. Even then, she knew it was best to get it all down before too much time had passed. Her emotions, her diary, could wait.

The Doctor slumped back into the Tardis almost an hour later, the already worn page clutched in one hand, and his face streaked with tears. He sunk down onto a seat and stared at the paper again. He had already read it over and over again and already knew it by heart, but he still kept reading it. Creases had formed where his fingers had gripped it and the ink was beginning to smudge.

Tearing his eyes away from the page, he carefully folded it and tucked it in his pocket with Amy's glasses. He got to his feet and stepped up to the console, flipping a few switches before slowly pulling the lever. The time rotor began moving up and down as the ship flew into the Time Vortex.

He made his way to the space under the floor and busied himself with fiddling with the wires, touching them together and jumping as they sparked.

After several hours of attempting to relocate the swimming pool, he finally gave up. The only thing he has accomplished was accidentally deleting the third tennis court. It had been a little while before he had managed to get it back. He went back up to the main part of the control room and checked the monitor in the hopes that the Tardis would tell him where his wife was. It didn't and he kicked at the console when it showed him an error message.

He stalked out of the control room in search of his wife. The first place he checked was their room but it was empty. River’s dress was draped over the bed frame and her shoes were lying on the ground where she must have kicked them.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, the Doctor moved back into the hall and started towards the library. He knew it was her favorite place in the Tardis and she was likely to be there. However, when he turned the corner to where the library was supposed to be and found himself facing another corridor instead he knew that was where she was.

Turning around, he quickly made his way back to the control room. Then he when in search of the library, but the Tardis was determined to keep him away from it. Every time he got close, the corridors would shift, and he found himself at the opposite end of the ship. After nearly an hour of wandering hopelessly through the ship, he gave up, slumping against the wall and sliding to the floor.

“Come on, Old Girl,” he pleaded. “Let me find River. I need her.”

A moment later, he felt the metal hum under his fingers. He pushed himself to his feet and hurried down the hall. Looking to the right, he was rewarded with the sight of the library's door.

The Doctor's eyes swept over the library. Wandering inside, his gaze fell on his wife. She was curled up in a chair by an electric fire, fast asleep. Several curls had escaped her hair tie and were framing her face. A black notebook lay open on her chest and a pen was nearly slipping from her loosening grasp.

Letting out a heavy sigh, he moved towards her and gently took the pen from her fingers. He picked up the notebook and closed it, setting it back in her lap. Then he carefully slipped his arms under his wife and lifted her out of the chair. She shifted slightly, burying her face in his shoulder and mumbling unintelligibly into his jacket.

He turned carried her out of the library and through the corridors to their room. He gently lay her on their bed, pulling her slippers off her feet and tucking a blanket around her. Then he went back to the control room, sat down on the bottom step, buried his face in his hands, and let himself cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the beginning of the end of my Eleven/River stuff. I'm not done with Eleven yet but the next time River shows up it'll be with Twelve. (And any suggestions for Twelve/River are welcome. I've got a number of ideas that I just haven't sorted through yet but if there's something specific you'd like me to do just let me know and I may just add it to the list. However, I will let you know, everything I write for them will be happening on Darillium. They won't be going on any sneaky, cheaty trips in the TARDIS.)
> 
> I hope you liked this chapter. I had hoped to focus more on the internal struggles each of them are having but I found myself not really doing that. Also, I realized my idea won't really work if they're already so miserable they can't do anything so more of the angsty part will probably be coming later. Unless my brain doesn't let me write it. We'll see.
> 
> Anyway, I should stop rambling. If you liked it please take the time to let me know! I absolutely love all your comments. They really make my day. I love knowing that I'm not the only one enjoying my silly stories.
> 
> And I'm still rambling. Okay. Shutting up now.


	12. Different Kinds of Grieving

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A large portion of this story is based on a deleted scene from "The Angels Take Manhattan" called "P.S." It was never shot but you can still find it on YouTube, so if you haven't seen it, I suggest you do. Probably before reading this.

River's eyes fluttered open and she blinked at her surroundings in confusion. Pushing herself up, she looked around.

_How did I end up in my room?_ she wondered.

Her gaze fell on the notebook lying on her bedside table. Picking it up, she flipped open to where she had left off. Her handwriting here was nearly illegible but she was glad to see that she really had managed to finish the rough draft of her story. It wouldn't take her too long to add all the personal details that would make the Doctor unable to put it down.

Shoving the blankets away, she dragged herself out of bed. Once she had tugged on her shoes, she set out in search of her husband. At first glance, the console room looked empty, but River quickly spotted the Doctor slumped against the wall on the lower level.

She forced a smile and made her way down the steps.

“Hello, Sweetie,” she said. It sounded more than a little bit half-hearted but she knew that being too cheerful would have been inappropriate. She dropped to the floor beside him, and he leaned against her, his head dropping to her shoulder.

They sat together in silence for several minutes. The Doctor clung to his wife and she did her best to comfort him. Eventually, she ventured a question.

“Are you okay?”

He didn't respond, merely buried his face in her hair. Letting out a sigh, she glanced around the space. Her eyes fell on the mess of cables and she rolled her eyes.

_Maybe one day he'll learn to stop messing with the wiring_, she thought fondly. The Tardis hummed in agreement, pulling a faint smile to her lips.

“We need to tell them,” the Doctor mumbled.

River jumped, pulling away to look at her husband.

“Who?”

“Amy's and Rory's parents,” he replied. “Brian and . . . the others.”

“Oh.” River frowned. “Mary and Tabetha and Augustus.”

“You've met them?”

She shook her head, her curls brushing against his cheek. “But mum and dad . . . they've told me about them.”

“Well, we need to tell them that they won't see their children again,” the Doctor murmured.

“Yes. And we'll go,” River assured him. “Just as soon as I clean up the mess you've made down here.”

It took a lot longer to fix the Tardis than River had expected, but she managed in the end. Then, when she tried to punch in the coordinates, the ship made a noise of protest. The Time Rotor began moving, but the coordinates were for several days later than she intended.

Deciding it wasn't a big deal, she rested her palm against the glass column for a moment before turning to go back to her room for a change of clothes. A few minutes later, she was back in the console room, landing the Tardis. The Doctor was still sitting on a chair, staring into space.

“Come on, Sweetie,” she soothed.

He took the hand she offered him and she pulled him to his feet, leading him out the door. They were greeted by the familiar sight of the Tardis-blue door. Quickly crossing the road, River pushed it open and pulled her husband inside.

When they turned into the front room, they found Brian Williams sitting on the couch with an older man. They were bent over an old photo album, but they looked up when the pair entered.

“Doctor?” The man looked confused.

“Hello, Brian,” he replied, his voice strained. “I don't quite know how to say this but . . .” He fidgeted nervously, glancing at River for help.

But Brian came to the rescue. “I already know.”

The Doctor looked at him quickly. “What? You-- You do?” he stammered. “How?”

Brian reached for a paper sitting on the coffee table. Getting to his feet, he offered it to the Doctor. He took it and ran his eyes over the page. When he looked up, his gaze fell on the man still sitting on the couch.

“You must be Anthony?” he said, a smile forming on his face.

The man stood and offered his hand. “Yes, I'm Anth--”

“Anthony Pond?” the Doctor interrupted, grabbing the man's hand.

“No. Anthony Williams,” he corrected. “And you're the Doctor.”

“Yes.”

“And who's this?” Brian turned to look at River.

“Oh, I'm Riv--” she started.

“You're Melody, aren't you?” Anthony interrupted. “Melody Pond?”

“I go by River Song, but yes.”

“You travel with the Doctor?” Brian asked.

“Not exactly.”

“River is my wife,” the Doctor explained. “But she's also Amy and Rory’s daughter.”

“They adopted another child?”

“No. Amy and Rory are actually my parents,” River explained. “I was born while they were still traveling with the Doctor.”

“They never mentioned you. And you look older than them.”

River shrugged. “It's a very long, rather complicated story.”

“Well, I'd like to hear it,” Brian urged.

Nodding, she motioned to the couch. “We should probably sit down.”

They took their seats and River launched into the story of her life, doing her best to keep it as simple as possible. The Doctor kept quiet, gripping his wife's had as he tried not to cry. Brian only reacted when he learned that River was Mels, but he waited until she was finished before speaking.

“So you, Amy, and Rory grew up together, even though you're their daughter?”

“Yes. It was the only way I'd get to grow up with them.”

Brian sat back, looking slightly dazed.

“So,” he said slowly. “My son and my daughter-in-law got stuck in the 1930s, they died over a decade ago, and I've got an older granddaughter who's my age and a younger grandson who's older than me.”

“You should probably know that I'm actually a lot older than you or Anthony,” River put in.

“Really? How old are you, then?” Brian asked. “I mean, if you don't mind my asking.”

She offered him a small smile. “No, it's fine. I think I'm one hundred and sixty-three. It's a bit hard to keep track what with time travel and not being able to completely remember large chunks of my childhood.”

Brian turned to the Doctor. “I'll have to tell my wife. And I suppose I can tell Amy's parents as well. Unless you want to, but you don't know them so well so I could do it for you.”

“Yes, that'd be good,” he mumbled. “You should probably take Anthony with you. He should get to meet his grandparents.”

“Mom gave me a letter for them too, and I'd like to give it to them myself.”

River glanced at her husband. “In that case, we should probably be going.” She got to her feet. “It was very nice to meet you both.”

“And you,” Brian said.

Anthony nodded in agreement.

River offered them a smile before turning to leave the house. The Doctor trailed behind her. As soon as she entered the Tardis, she made for the console. She jumped when her husband slammed the door behind him.

“What's wrong with you?” he demanded.

She turned to look at him. “Excuse me?”

“How can you be so cheerful? Your parents are _dead_ and you're in there smiling away as if nothing is wrong!”

“I'm not cheerful,” River said, keeping her voice even. “But I see no reason--”

“They were your _parents_ and you don't seem to care at all! You just sat down and wrote your stupid book and fell asleep like nothing was wrong.”

“Sweetie, I--”

“And if this is about ‘hiding the damage’ then you'd better stop it _right_ now!”

Something inside River snapped and she marched towards her husband, slapping him soundly across the face.

“Don't you _dare_ tell how to mourn my parents!” she growled. “Just because I'm doing my best to keep going on with my life instead of sulking like you are doesn't mean you get to take your anger out on me!”

Turning on her heels, she stormed down the halls to her room. Once she was there, she snatched the notebook off her bedside table and began punching coordinates into her Vortex Manipulator. Just before she hit the final button, the door was flung open and the Doctor came in.

“River!”

His eyes fell on her hand where it hovered over the device.

“Don't you dare,” he warned. “River!”

She glared at him before pressing the button and disappearing in a puff of smoke and electricity.

River found herself in her cramped room in 1938 Manhattan, just minutes after she had left it. She quickly piled a few things into her bag before keying in the coordinates for her home.

As soon as she arrived, she dropped to her knees and rummaged around for her diary. Snatching a pen from a bookshelf, she made her way to her kitchen table and took a seat. She opened the battered notebook but didn't start writing.

“I shouldn't,” she muttered. _It's a bad idea in every way possible. I'll just end up hurting myself._

_But it might help._

Letting out a defeated sigh, she quickly punched a message into her Vortex Manipulator. Once that was done, she was finally able to begin writing, pouring all her anger and misery into the pages of her diary. This time, the manuscript could wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I don't really like this chapter very much. It's mostly just filler since I needed a bit of a fight. I honestly had no idea what they'd be fighting about until I got to the point where they were fighting and I was like, "Oh, of course that's what it is." Anyway, I hope you liked it, even if I don't.
> 
> There will be two more parts to this story. Then I'll be done with River/Eleven. When River shows up again it will be with Twelve so please let me know if there's anything specific you'd like to see with those two and I might write it.


	13. Time to Move On

The Doctor spent the next few days hiding away in the Tardis. He didn't know what else to do. His wife had made it pretty clear she didn't want anything to do with him and he couldn't just jump into another adventure, not now that his Ponds were dead.

_They aren't really dead_, he tried to tell himself. _They're just living in a different time. River died when I first met her and I still see her._

He frowned at the book he was trying to read. This was different. Amy and Rory weren't just living in a different time, they were trapped in a time that the Tardis couldn't reach. As for River . . .

_Maybe she's right. Maybe I should try to move on. My time with her is almost up anyway. Maybe it's time to say goodbye._

Getting to his feet, he made his way back to the console room and reached for the phone. He took a deep breath and picked it up, punching a few buttons on the console. The phone began to ring. A moment later, he heard the click of it being picked up and River's voice came from the other end.

“Hello Sweetie,” she purred.

_Of course she knows it's me._

“Doctor Song,” he replied.

“That's Professor Song to you.”

The Doctor felt his hearts sink. He had wanted a younger version, one who didn't know what he had just gone through.

“P-professor?” he stammered.

“I was pardoned a month ago and I got a job at Luna University. I'm teaching archeology,” she teased.

“Oh.” He let out a soft sigh of relief. _Young enough._

“So, who's trying to kill you?” she asked. “And what do you need me for?”

“No one's trying to kill me, but you and I are going on a date,” he replied. “Put on something nice and meet me on Calderon Beta in 2360. You know when.”

“Yes, but we were already there. We can't really go there again.”

“No, I'm just picking you up there.”

“So where are we going?”

“Darillium,” he declared. “I'm taking you to see the Singing Towers.”

“Really?” she exclaimed. The excitement in her voice made him wince. “You're actually going to take me?”

“Yep!” He did his best to sound cheerful. “I'll see you there!”

He hung up the phone and punched the coordinates into the Tardis. Then he made his way to the wardrobe and changed into a suit. Coming back to the console room, he landed the ship and waited for River to come through the doors.

The minutes dragged on, but there was no sign of her. The Doctor checked to make sure he was in the right place. When he was satisfied that the date and time were right, he opened the door and glanced outside. He frowned.

_Where is she?_ he wondered. _She's usually not the one who's late._

Suddenly, he remembered what had happened when he last taken River to Calderon Beta. Tugging the Tardis door shut behind him, he ran around the building to where he knew he had parked the last time. He skidded around the corner just in time to see his wife glare at the light on top of the box. He started towards her as she pulled the door open and stepped inside.

“No, River, wrong Tardis,” he called, running into the ship. “I'm parked round back . . .”

He trailed off as he set eyes on himself.

“Younger version,” he explained.

River's eyes were fixed on the younger Doctor. “Two of you!” she breathed. “The mind races, does it not?”

“Come on. We'll be late,” the Doctor urged her, glancing nervously at his past self.

River broke into a grin. “He's taking me to the Singing Towers of Darillium,” she explained, turning to leave. “He's been promising me for ages.”

The Doctors’ eyes met.

“The first time we met her, at the Library, when she . . .”

“Died,” the older one interrupted. “Yes.”

“She said the last time she saw us was at Darillium. Is that now?”

He looked distraught so the older one offered him a smile. “Spoilers. Good luck tonight,” he said, knowing that the night would go well.

The younger one nodded. “You too.”

“Yeah.” He turned on his heels and left the Tardis. River was waiting for him outside, a massive grin on her face.

“You should have known this was the younger version. You were with me that first time,” he teased.

“I'm sorry I didn't remember where we parked. You didn't trust me to drive back then,” she pouted. “Although, it might have had something to do with the fact you had another woman on board.”

The Doctor stared at her, his eyes wide.

“River! That--”

“Come to think of it, I found you here another time and you had someone else with you that time too,” she accused.

“River!” he exclaimed. “Think it through!

He caught her by the wrist and forced her to turn. “I picked you up from Stormcage on your first night and brought you here to this time. Then a version of you, five years older, came here, to the same time and found me. You saw the dress and convinced yourself I had another woman when it was just another you. The younger you heard us talking and thought I had another woman with me.”

“Really?” she asked, looking surprised.

“You were jealous of yourself. It was actually kind of funny,” he chuckled, earning himself a punch in the arm. “Sorry. Anyway, then you walked in and there were three of you. I had to do something to distract you.”

River grinned. “So you sent me to check the bulb.”

“Yeah.”

She pulled him forward. “Come on. I want to see the towers.” Letting go of his arm, she entered the Tardis. As the door closed behind her, he remembered some of her last words.

_“The last time I saw you, the real you, the future you, I mean, you turned up on my doorstep, with a new haircut and a suit. You took me to Darillium to see the Singing Towers. What a night that was. The Towers sang, and you cried.”_

He knew this wasn't right. He had been so eager to be done with it that he hasn't thought it through. This wasn't the last time River saw him, he had just been with an older version of her, and Darillium was the last time she saw him.

He let out a heavy breath and followed after her.

“River, I-- I don't think we should go to Darillium tonight,” he sighed.

She looked to from the controls. Disappointment forming on her face. “But you said-- You keep promising you'll take me. Why do you keep canceling?”

The Doctor moved towards the console. “I can't explain it. Please just trust me,” he begged. Slipping his arms around her waist, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “We can go anywhere in the universe, anywhere in all of time and space, you choose. I'll even let you fly. Just, please, let's not go to Darillium.”

River still looked disappointed but she nodded. “Okay.” She pulled out of his arms and began entering in the coordinates, pulling the lever down.

She took them to a planet where they shared a peaceful dinner. Both of them were uncharacteristically quiet during the meal. River was still disappointed and the Doctor was suddenly wishing he hadn't gone to a younger version of his wife. He wished she knew what was wrong so she could help comfort him.

When the meal was over, he dropped her off at her house, kissed her goodbye, and programmed the coordinates for a jump in time, but not in space.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this. It's a bit rushed, to be honest. Anyway, one more part of this story then it's bye-bye Eleven/River. 
> 
> Please let me know what you'd like to see between River and Twelve and I might just include it.
> 
> Okay, I need to go to bed.


	14. Comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a shorter chapter, I think.

As soon as the Tardis had materialized, the Doctor pushed the door open and stepped back into his wife's front room. He found her sitting at her kitchen table, turned to look at him. Her expression was amused but there was pain and exhaustion behind it.

“Did you forget something?” she asked.

“What?” he stammered.

River tilted her head. “You just left.”

“Did I?”

She nodded. He studied her carefully. She was dressed in a long, pale-blue shirt with buttons down the front. He recognized it as one of his. The top two buttons were undone and the sleeves were rolled up to her elbows. Her hair was obviously still a tangled mess, but it was tied out of her face in a way the Doctor could only describe as attractive. Her hands were on the table, wrapped around a steaming mug of tea.

“Oh,” he breathed, and everything made sense. It was a long time since he had left her like this, several years, in fact, but he could still remember how upset she had been when she had sent him off. He had always wondered what had been wrong, and now he knew.

“River, I'm so sorry.” He stumbled towards her, pulling her out of her chair and into a hug.

She buried her face in his neck. “It's happened, hasn't it?”

He nodded. “They're gone.”

River let out a sigh of relief, squeezing her eyes shut against the tears threatening to fall. They clung to each other in silence for several minutes. Eventually, the Doctor pressed a kiss to her hair and pulled back to look at her.

“How long has it been?”

“I got back yesterday,” she admitted.

He raised his eyebrows. “Really? Why on earth did you call me then? I'd think I would be the last person you'd want to see.”

River raised a hand to wipe her eyes. “I was desperate for you. You were the only person I wanted to see. That's why I sent for a younger version of you. I thought it would be a relief to be with a you that didn't know what happened, but I quickly realized you were too cheerful. You not knowing just made it hurt worse.” She pressed her face to his chest again. “I'm glad you came back,” she admitted.

He kissed her head. “I tried the same thing, you know. I went for a younger version of you too. That time I called you to Calderon Beta?”

She considered it for a moment before nodding. “I wondered what was wrong with you. I never thought to ask where my parents were.”

“Good thing too.”

She nodded again before lifting her head to kiss him. He responded gently, raising a hand to cup her cheek and pull her closer. They each felt tears on their cheeks but neither of them could tell whose they were.

The kiss was slow and gentle at first but the longer their lips stayed together, the hungrier it became. Hands gripped fabric, tugging at clothing. Fingers tangled in hair, pulling each other closer, desperate for more.

When they finally parted, breathing heavily, they pulled each other into a tight hug. River buried her face in the Doctor's neck as he hid his in her hair. They stood there as their breath steadied.

“Thank you,” she breathed.

“For what?” he murmured.

“Coming back.”

He kissed her again.

“Do you want to finish your tea?”

“It can wait.”

“Don't you have work? It's a Tuesday, isn't it?”

River let out a heavy breath. “It is, and I do. But it doesn't matter. I can always go back.” She rolled over to look at her husband. “Besides, I couldn't teach anything right now if I tried.”

“Hmm.” He tugged her closer and kissed her on the nose. She chuckled, though it was a quiet, joyless laugh.

“We should really compare diaries,” he suggested.

She hummed in agreement. “Mine’s downstairs. I'll go get it.”

She rolled over again and climbed out of bed. Tugging on the blue shirt she had been wearing earlier, she made her way out of the room. She returned a few minutes later, her diary clutched against her chest. She dropped the book on the bed, discarding her shirt before slipping under the blankets.

The Doctor pushed himself into a sitting position and pulled his wife into his lap. She settled into a more comfortable position, arranging the blankets around them before picking up her diary. Lifting the faded blue cover, she began softly reading out the different adventures she had been on with him. He let her know if he had done each of them by pressing a kiss to her neck or her shoulder.

Eventually, River stopped, turning to look at her husband. He caught the look of horror in her eyes.

“What's wrong?”

“That-- That's it. That's everything,” she stammered. “I don't have anything else.”

He paled slightly. His mouth hung open as he stared at her. She pulled away unconsciously.

“Doctor, what is it?” she asked, her voice shaky. “You're scaring me.”

“I'm sorry. It's nothing.” He tried to pull her closer but she placed a hand on his chest to stop him.

“No, Sweetie, what does this mean? Am I ever going to see you again?”

The Doctor closed his eyes so she wouldn't see the pain that filled them. He opened them a moment later and offered her a grin.

“Oh, you will.”

“But the diary--”

“Maybe this means we'll be able to live linear to each other from now on,” he said, though he didn't believe it.

“But--”

He cut her off with a kiss. He knew she'd see him again at least once, on the day she died, but he realized that this could mean he'd never see her again. River had talked about Darillium that day so there was a little bit of hope, but he was painfully aware that time could be rewritten. Maybe he wouldn't give her her screwdriver in person. She hasn't said he had. And as for his name. . . .

_Maybe if I don't tell her now I'll increase my chances of seeing her again._

River pulled away to look at him.

“What if I don't see you again?” she asked.

“You will, I promise.”

“How can you know?”

He managed a grin. “Spoilers,” he teased.

Her face lit up. “Really?”

His grin widened. “We went through your diary, not mine.”

She let out a choked laugh. “I've never loved that word so much in my life.”

She managed to turn around fully so she could kiss him deeply. Her diary lay forgotten on the sheets beside them.

The Doctor stared at the console. Tears stung the corner of his eyes, blurring his vision. Wiping them away, he turned to look at the rest of the room. The bright lights reflected off the glass floor and gold-colored walls, hurting his eyes. Everywhere he looked, painful memories flooded his mind. Every wall and every stair, every button on the console and every line of the room reminded him of his Ponds. He could still picture them walking around the room or sitting on the chairs or steps. He could still see River standing at the controls, teasing him as she piloted the ship better than he could ever dream of doing.

Spinning around, he pressed a series of buttons and flipped a switch. The room around him flickered twice before changing completely. When he looked around again, he found himself in a much darker space. All the bright orange and yellow and blue had been replaced by a steely grey. The Time Rotor glowed blue-green above the console which was now a perfect hexagon made of six trapezoid-shaped control panels.

The Doctor sunk to the floor. Burying his face in his hands, he let out a shaky breath. Tears spilled down his cheeks and, for once, he let himself cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed 'cause that's the end of River and Eleven. I'll be writing one more story with Eleven before moving on to Darilium. Let me know if there's anything specific that you want to read because I still haven't written out my plan yet.


	15. The Strange Prisoner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I don't know how good this chapter is. I've made up a bunch of stuff, like an entire alien race, and I probably haven't explained any of it really well. The point is, I needed this for a set up for my next chapter. 
> 
> Also, River is not in this story. I'm sorry if you're only reading this book for stories of her and the Doctor. If that's the case, don't bother reading this chapter or the next one or probably the one after that. However, I hope you do choose to read it.

“Who is this?” General Corain demanded.

“We do not know. We caught him snooping near the entrance,” a guard replied.

Chiana crept behind a pile of crates to get a better look at the strange man that had been dragged in by the guards. They were holding his arms behind him, but he was looking around the room. He shook his head slightly in an attempt to get his hair out of his face but it just flopped back in his eyes. He was wearing a tan jacket and had a grey bowtie beneath his rather prominent chin.

“Who are you?” General Corain asked. “What are you doing here.”

The man turned to look at him. “Me? Oh, I'm no one. I was just passing by. You see, I was looking for a friend of mine. I've no idea where to find her. Anyway, as I was looking, I picked up some very strange readings.” His eyes swept over the room. “Ooh! Computers! I love computers.”

He spun out of the guards' arms and began examining the screens around the room. Everyone was watching him warily, and most of them had their guns trained on him.

“I decided I should check it out and look what I found!” He pulled something out of a pocket and pointed it at a computer. It let out a loud whirring noise and everyone in the room seemed to flicker before transforming into their natural forms.

Chiana glanced down at her hands. They were now a deep purple once more.

“Ooh! Ryonians!” the man exclaimed. “I wondered what I'd find under the perception filter. You're a long way from home.”

“Get him!” Corain growled. “And get the perception filter back online.”

They moved to do as he said. Three of the guards grabbed the man, holding him tightly as several more rushed to the computers. They hurriedly typed in a string of commands, and they all went back go looking like humans.

A guard brought Corain the man's device. He examined it but Chiana couldn't see what it was. “Lock him up,” he commanded. “I will deal with him later. And bring me the alien technology expert.”

Chiana slipped out of the room as quickly as she could. She darted a little way down the hall before stopping and turning to walk back towards the door. A guard came into the hall.

“You are the technology expert?” he barked.

“Y-yes,” she replied. “Do you need me?”

“General Corain has requested you. He has something he needs looked at.”

She nodded and followed the guard back into the room. Corain looked up when they entered.

“Ah, good. We have captured a young human we found snooping near the entrance. We were going to send him to the Lab, but he knew of us, and he was carrying technology beyond what we have found on this planet.” He held out the device he had confiscated from the man. “Can you tell me about it?”

Chiana turned the device over in her hands. She recognized it as generic sonic technology. “I will have to take a closer look at it first,” she lied. “May I?”

“Yes, of course.” He waved her away, but she hesitated.

“Sir, if I could ask, what are you doing with the human, if not sending him to the Lab?”

“He will be held in the prison for further questioning. Now, I want to know everything I can before questioning him. That device may tell us where he's from.”

“Yes, sir.”

Pocketing the device, Chiana turned and left the room, but when she reached the end of the hall, she turned towards the prison rather than making her way to her office. She knew it wouldn't be well guarded and she'd be able to speak to the man without being caught. When she reached the corridor, she spotted him standing in a cell. He was leaning against the bars, grinning at the backs of the guards who were walking in the opposite direction. She approached him slowly. He turned to look at her.

“You are not from earth,” she said.

“Neither are you,” he responded.

“What are you doing on earth?”

“What're _you_ doing on earth?”

Chiana scowled. “I was recruited as an expert in alien technology. Now, answer my question. Why are you on earth?”

“I spend a lot of time on earth. I like it.”

Her frown deepened, annoyed at the lack of a proper answer. “Where are you from?”

The man laughed. “Ah, that is the question.”

“And who--”

“Ah-ah!” he interrupted. “My turn. Why are you the one interrogating me? You said you were an expert in alien technology.”

She faltered. “I-- Uh--”

The man grinned. “You're not supposed to be here, are you?” He chuckled. “Don't worry. I promise I won't tell anyone. Now, if you're down here asking me questions when you know you're not supposed to then you're different. What do you want to know?”

Chiana pulled his device out of her pocket. “You have sonic technology.” She glanced at it. “What exactly is it?”

He looked insulted. “It's a sonic screwdriver!” he exclaimed.

“Where did you get it?”

“Made it. Sort of.”

She studied the screwdriver, turning it over in her hand. “You were not just passing.”

“No. ‘Course not,” he said. “Well, I was, but then I saw this place. You've been here a while. I should have noticed you earlier. Anyway, I've been doing some investigating.”

Chiana’s wrist communicator chipped. She glanced down at it. “I am needed.”

“Yeah, well, just a moment. You've had more questions than me.”

“Very well.”

“You knew I told big boss back there that I was just passing, but I didn't see you in the room. But you must have been there. Which means you were hiding. You were spying on them. You are a spy and I bet you don't want them to know.”

“What are you going to do? Even if you tell them, they will not spare your life.”

“Oh, I know that. If you're spying on them then you're against them. I'm suggesting you get me out of here. Then you can tell me what they're up to and I can help you.”

Chiana frowned. She had been on her own for months, looking for a safe way to sabotage the operation. Some help sounded wonderful.

“How do I know you will not just run away?” she asked.

The man looked impressed. “Ah. Good. You see, I came here to find out what was going on, and you can tell me. I'm not going to run off without learning what I can.”

She stared at him, weighing the risks. Then she nodded. “Okay,” she said slowly. “What do I do? I cannot open the door. I do not know the code.”

“That's okay. Just give me my screwdriver,” he said, reaching towards her.

Chiana handed him the device. He took it and pointed it at the lock. It let out a soft whirr and the mechanism sparked. Then the door swung open.

“Ah hah! That's better!” He pushed his hair out of his face. “Now, we find a safe place to chat.”

“My office. There are no cameras in there, and I have all the information I have gathered there.”

He pointed his screwdriver at her before pocketing it. “Excellent.”

“Come then.”

She turned and ran out of the room. He followed after her.

“What's your name, by the way?” he whispered.

“Chiana. What is yours?”

“I'm the Doctor.”

She glanced at him. “Doctor who?”

He grinned. “No, just the Doctor.”

Hearing footsteps coming towards them, she pulled him into a corner. The guards walked passed without seeing them. Once they were out of sight, Chiana pulled the Doctor up and they started down the corridor once more. They turned the corner and found themselves facing the backs of two more guards.

The guards turned, raising their weapons. Chiana gasped and raised her hands. The Doctor did the same.

“Uh, Chiana, under the circumstances, might I suggest that we RUN!” he said quickly, ending in a shout.

The two of them spun around and bolted down the opposite hall. They ran through corridor after corridor, skidding around corners as alarms filled the air joined by the shouts of guards.

Just as they reached the end of one hall, guards poured in from either side. The Doctor grabbed Chiana and they turned only to find more guards blocking their escape. She felt her hearts sink in her chest.

“Hands up!” one called.

They glanced at each other before slowly raising their hands.

“A traitor!” Corain exclaimed. “I should have known.”

“She's not a traitor!” the Doctor protested.

“She was helping you escape. She is a traitor and will be punished,” he declared. “As for you, you will answer my questions.”

“What questions?”

“Who are you?”

“I'm the Doctor.”

“What do you know of the Ryonians?”

He seemed to brighten at that. “Ah, yes. Humanoids from the planet Ryonia. Similar to humans in appearance. Actually, identical to humans in almost every way . . . if humans were purple and had yellow eyes and bright blue hair.” He frowned slightly before continuing. “Anyway, you're from a planet that's ninety-two percent water and are slightly aquatic because of it. You've built massive cities beneath the ocean and can stay submerged for up to half an hour. And you've got two hearts . . . so not actually that similar to humans. Right. Sorry.

"You're relatively peaceful, but you're currently in the middle of a civil war which started as a revolution when the people of Ryonia decided they were tired of being ruled by a government who sat up on the moon, Ciona, which is a little weird when you think about it. Usually, it's the moon demanding independence from the planet, not the planet demanding independence from the moon.” He paused. “What side are you on?"

Corain scowled. "We are our own. We fight under the sign of Thyoran. The government is oppressing the planet. We cannot move forward. Our economy is stagnating. We started a revolution many years ago but the people of Ryonia are too peaceful. They are afraid to do what it takes to defeat them."

"Ah, I see. The Thyoran splinter group. I've heard of you. What are you doing here?"

"We came to this planet because this planet has what we need."

"And what is that?"

"People." Corain turned to the people in the room. “It is time for the great test. Prepare the machine!”

“The machine? What machine? What does it do? And why do you need people?” the Doctor demanded. He was struggling against the guards but they didn't let go. “Chiana? What machine?”

“The Thyorans were trying to come up with a way to win the war, but they were not worried about being ethical. They began developing a machine that would torture every Ryonian in a designated area. Possibly even kill them,” she explained softly.

“So what are they doing on earth?”

“They wanted to test their machine. They have set it to torture all humans and plan to test it on the city of London.”

“What?” the Doctor exclaimed. He turned to stare at Corain who was busy giving orders. “You can't do this! It's illegal!”

“That is why they chose Earth,” Chiana hissed. “Even though it is legally protected by the Shadow Proclamation, they do not come here or monitor what happens on the planet.”

“Sir, it is ready,” one of the men at a computer called.

“Excellent. Now, Doctor, behold as the people of London suffer alongside you.” The screens flickered before changing to show different streets in the city. People were walking along, coming in and out of shops as cars drove down the roads. “Start the machine!”

One man pulled a lever and the room filled with a loud hum. Suddenly, every single person had dropped to their knees, writhing in agony. The Doctor pulled against his restraints but it was no use.

“See how they suffer,” Corain gloated. Then his eyes fell on his prisoner. “Why is it not working on you?”

“Because I'm not human!” he exclaimed. “Now, turn it off. You can't do this!”

“Lock them up! They will be executed when we have finished our test.”

“No!” the Doctor shouted. The guards began pulling them out of the room and Chiana found herself calling out as well. They were dragged back down to the prison level and thrown into a cell. The guards slammed the door shut behind them. He grabbed the bars and continued screaming after them. “You can't do this! You'll kill them! You have to stop it!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah. It's all just set up for the next chapter. Also, in the next chapter I'm probably going to be breaking a whole load of 'Doctor Who' rules but I don't really care because I just want to do what I'm going to do.
> 
> Anyway, please let me know what you think. I love reading your comments.


	16. The Most Important

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, continuation of the last one so River still isn't in it. I hope you all read and enjoy it anyway since I'm just making up a whole ton of stuff to suit my idea.

The Doctor turned away from the bars to slump against the wall. Chiana watched him carefully.

"You said you are not human," she ventured.

He shook his head but didn't raise it. "Obviously I'm not or I'd be dying."

"The machine has ten levels. Only the last four can cause lasting damage. They have only set it to level one. No one will die."

"But they're still in pain. Everyone in London is suffering." He finally looked up. "Why?"

"They want to use it on the government on Ciona. They intend to kill the Ryonians in that area. However, there are other species living there. The Thyorans accept that they are innocent. They only want to dispose of the Ryonians. They came to Earth to test that they are capable of creating a machine that will only affect one species. It will only take a few modifications to make it work on Ryonians."

The Doctor frowned. "But they'll kill themselves."

"They will program it so it will not affect the area they are in."

He buried his face in his hands. "I need to do something, but I can't get out. They've taken my screwdriver. And I can't just call someone. Everyone in London is suffering."

"But if you are here, surely more of your people can come. Why do you not call one of them?"

"Because there aren't any," he admitted. "I'm the last of my kind. All my friends are human but they aren't around anymore anyway. My wi-- my wife is less human, but I can't call her either."

"Why not?" Chiana asked gently.

"Because she's dead. She died centuries ago in a Library several thousand years in the future, and I said goodbye to her for the last time several years ago. I don't get to see her again."

She furrowed her brow in confusion, but the Doctor looked to be on the verge of tears so she didn't say anything. He wiped his eyes but still didn't look up.

"And you are certain there are not any more aliens in London right now?"

"Yes, well, no, but certainly none that I could ask for help. If there's anyone out there who isn't suffering, I certainly don't know who--" He broke off, looking up suddenly. "Donna!" he gasped.

"Pardon?"

His frown deepened. "I had this friend. Her name is Donna. She lives in London. She won't know what's going on. She'll be so scared."

"She is an alien?" Chiana asked.

"No, not exactly, but something happened to her so she's not human anymore, not completely. She doesn't register as human," he explained. "But she can't remember. She can't remember me or she'll die."

"So she cannot help us?"

"No," he said quickly. Then he hesitated. "Well, maybe. I've changed so she won't recognize me and you've all got that perception filter so you don't look like aliens. Maybe, as long as she doesn't get the name 'Doctor' or see the Tardis, we could ask for her help." He had jumped to his feet and was pacing the length of the cell but his feet stilled when he stopped taking. He shook his head. "No. It's too dangerous. She could have died that last time and I wasn't asking her to do something. I won't risk her life like that again."

Chiana nodded. "Then we must get out. We need to stop them."

"How?" he exclaimed. "I've got no sonic, no one to call for help, and no plan! What am I supposed to do!"

He looked up and saw the fear in her eyes. "Sorry," he sighed, sounding defeated.

"We will think of something."

"I know. I know. But how long will it take? Every second we waste is a second that all of London is in agony."

"Well, then--" She broke off as a ringing sound reached her ears. It seemed to be coming from the direction of the Doctor. He looked startled and began patting his jacket. Digging in a pocket, he pulled something out and stared at it.

It was a phone. Specifically, a phone from the late 2000s. He recognized it as the one Martha had given to him before leaving the Tardis. He had a vague memory of coming across it and pocketing it several years ago but had forgotten all about it. It certainly never rang.

"What is it?"

"A phone. A friend of mine gave it to me. I suppose she's out there suffering too."

"Then who is calling?"

He turned the phone over in his hand so he could see the tiny screen. His hearts sank as he read the name.

_Of course._

"It's Donna. She's the only one it could be."

"Will you answer?"

He let out a heavy sigh. "Yes. At least I can try to comfort her."

Taking a deep breath to compose himself, he flipped open the phone and raised it to his ear.

"Hello?"

Donna's familiar voice came through the phone. The sound was enough to bring tears to his eyes but the panic in it reminded him that they were in a dangerous position.

"Finally," she gasped. "Something's wrong with my mum and my granddad. I've been calling everyone I know but no one's picked up. This was the only other number I had, but I don't know who you are. Who are you?"

"Uh, I'm, uh-- Smith. John Smith," he stammered.

"Can you help me?"

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know. It's like they're in pain, but they were fine a few minutes ago. It just started. Both of them, at the same time."

The Doctor could hear faint moans of pain coming over the phone. Then he made up his mind.

_It's risky but I can't do anything else._

"Okay. I think I can help, but I'm going to need you to follow my instructions to the letter."

"What?"

"It's not just your family. It's everyone in London. Everyone in London is suffering and you're the only one who can stop it," he said urgently.

"Why me? And why isn't it affecting me?"

"Long story. Can't explain. You need to follow my instructions. Can you do that?"

There was a long silence and the Doctor was afraid something had happened. But then Donna spoke.

"Okay. What do you want me to do?"

"Good. Just give me a minute." He looked at the screen and put it on speaker phone. Then he sent her the location of the Ryonian base. "Okay. I want you to come to this place. Then call me when you're there."

"Why can't you go?"

"Because I'm a bit tied up right now. I need you to trust me and just do as I say."

"Okay. I'll call you when I get there," she said. "You know, it's funny. I've no idea who you are, but I feel like I can trust you."

"Yeah, I do tend to give off the feeling," he chuckled. "Now go on. Be spectacular."

The phone beeped and the call ended. The Doctor flipped the phone shut and stared at it.

"So you have a plan?" Chiana asked. She had been watching him with interest throughout the whole phone call.

"Yes, but it's risky. I could kill her."

"But the city?"

"I know. That's why I'm risking this. I need to save London." He let out a dry laugh. "I'm always trying to save London."

He began pacing again, staring at the phone in his hands.

"What is the plan?"

"Once Donna gets here, we need to create a distraction. She'll need to sneak into the main control room and disable the machine. I can write a virus on this phone and send it to her. She's good with computers. It shouldn't be too hard for her to do. She just needs to follow my instructions."

"How do you know what will work?"

"I scanned the computers earlier. I didn't understand all of what I picked up at the time, but it makes sense now. I think I remember the code and I think I know what can switch it off. Better yet, I think I can write something that will completely fry the machine."

He flipped open the phone and began typing rapidly. A few minutes later, he looked up again.

"You're still wearing that wrist communicator thingy?"

"Yes, but they have blocked the signal."

"But you still have information on it. Do you have a map?"

"Yes."

He reached towards her, gesturing for her to hand it over. She quickly unstrapped it from her wrist and offered it to him. He snatched it from her and quickly pulled up a map of the base.

"Excellent!"

"What are you doing?"

"I need to be able to direct Donna to the control room," he explained. "I should be able to use her phone to follow her progress through the phone." He punched a few more buttons and a red dot appeared at the edge of the map. "Aha!"

"Now what?"

The Doctor pocketed the device and looked up. "Now we need to come up with a distraction."

Before either of them could say another word, Corain appeared outside the cell.

"You will tell us who you are, Doctor," he demanded.

"Or what?"

He motioned to one of the guards who leveled his gun at Chiana.

"Or she dies."

The Doctor turned to look at her, a look of pained horror on his face. She tried to shake her head, but he just closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the was giving Corain a dark look.

"You can't kill her," he said, his voice low.

"She is a spy. I can kill her."

"Don't you want to know what she was doing here?" he asked.

"She can be questioned once we are done with you," Corain said.

"Ah, so you can't kill her," the Doctor grinned.

Corain scowled. "Then we will question her now. When we are done, you will tell us what we want to know or she will die." He turned to his guards. "Bring her!"

As one guard opened the door, the Doctor turned so that only Chiana could see his face.

"Distraction," he mouthed.

She nodded almost imperceptibly. A guard stepped into the cell and snapped handcuffs onto her wrists. He shoved her towards the door. She stumbled into the hall where the second guard caught her and forced her to start walking. The Doctor waited until they were out of sight before pulling the phone out of his pocket once more. He flipped it open and quickly finished what he was working on.

A few seconds after he finished, the phone rang.

"Hello?"

Donna's voice came over the phone. "Mr. Smith, I'm here," she whispered. "Now what?"

"Give me a second." The Doctor pulled out Chiana's communicator and opened the map. "Okay. I'm going to give you directions. I can track your progress from here. You just need to not get caught. Keep out of sight."

"Where do I go?"

The Doctor began directing her through the halls of the base, watching her progress on the map.

"Okay, the place you're looking for is through the door on the left."

"But there's people in there."

"I know. I've got someone working on it. I think. Keep outta sight."

Just then, sirens cut through the base. The Doctor watched as the red dot that marked Donna's location moved to a more hidden position. A few minutes later, it moved out into the hall again and towards the door.

"It's empty," she whispered.

"Okay. Go to the main computer. I need you to hack into the system."

"I don't know how to."

"I think you'll find that you do. Anyway, I'll walk you through it if you don't."

"Okay."

She fell silent for a few minutes. He began pacing the length of the cell again as he waited for her to say something. The silence finally got too much for him.

"Are you getting anywhere?"

"I'm in," she replied. "How did I do that?"

"I'd love to explain, but we're kinda pressed for time. I'm sending you a virus that will fry the systems. You just need to plug your phone into the system and upload it to the computer. It should shut down the machine that's torturing London," he explained.

"And if it doesn't?"

"Then I'll have to come up with something else. Let's hope it works. Sending you the virus."

He lowered the phone and hit a few buttons.

"Okay. I got it. Wish me luck."

"Good luck," the Doctor replied.

Just then, Chiana appeared outside the cell.

"You escaped!" he exclaimed.

"I was able to cause a minor explosion. When General Corain went to see what had happened, I freed myself and stunned the guards. Then I activated the evacuation alarm. That should have cleared the control room."

"It did. Donna's in there now."

"She will need to hurry. I do not think it will last long."

"Right. Can you get me out?"

"I can try."

As she began fiddling with her door controls, he raised the phone to his ear once more.

"Are you there?"

"Yeah. I've done it. I think it's working."

Suddenly, the door swung open.

"That was not me," Chiana said.

"Then the virus must be working. I didn't know exactly what part of the code was the machine so I designed it to shut down the whole system. The machine, the doors, the alarm, probably, and . . ." He trailed off. "Oh no."

"What?"

"The perception filter," he gasped just as Chiana's skin flickered back to purple and her brown ponytail changed to a bright shade of blue.

"Is this bad?" she asked, looking down at her hands.

"Yes. If Donna sees any of you--" He broke off and darted out of the cell. "Donna?" he called. "Donna, are you there?"

"Yes. I'm leaving. Is something wrong?"

"You need to get out now. Get out before anyone sees you!"

_Or before you see anyone._

"I'm trying. And how do you know my name? Do I know you?"

"Donna, it doesn't matter. Just get out!"

He heard a muffled shout over the phone.

"They've found me."

"Donna, don't--"

"They're purple!" she exclaimed softly. Then she let out a pained gasp.

"Donna?" The Doctor turned to Chiana. "Which way?"

"There," she pointed.

"Donna?" he repeated.

"They've got me," she said, her voice full of pain. Her voice was followed by the sound of her phone clattering to the ground.

"Argh! No!" the Doctor growled, nearly throwing the phone against the wall. He rounded on Chiana. "We need to find her."

She nodded once. "Follow me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I don't know/care how you feel about this but I really loved Donna as a character and really wish she could come back in some way. Not as a constant companion, just as someone we see every now and then. Or even just as someone the Doctor bumps into again.
> 
> I'm just making stuff up here and the next chapter is probably not going to make any logical sense and it's also probably going to break a whole ton of rules but I'm just writing it because I want to write it. I don't even know if anyone's even reading it.
> 
> If you are reading, please take the time to let me know what you think of this. It really means a lot to me.


	17. The Lab

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm beginning to take a few creative liberties in this chapter. Not nearly as many as in the next chapter, I think, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

The Doctor followed Chiana through the halls of the base. He could still see where Donna, or at least her phone, was in the building.

“We are almost there,” Chiana assured him.

They rounded a corner and skidded to a stop. Three figures lay motionless on the floor. The two closest to them were purple-skinned Ryonian guards. Donna was lying on the other end of the hall, her red hair covering her face.

“Donna,” the Doctor breathed. He ran down the hall, dropping to the ground beside her and pushing her hair out of her face. “Oh, Donna.”

He rolled her over and rested her head on his knees so it wouldn't be on the metal floor. His fingers found her wrist, testing her pulse. “No. No, no, no,” he muttered.

“What is it? What happened?” Chiana asked.

“Defense mechanism. She saw the guards, started to remember, so her brain let out a blast of energy to keep her safe. It knocks out anyone around her who might hurt her, knocks her out, and also wipes her mind of whatever triggered the memories,” he explained. “But something's wrong. She’s dying.”

“Can you do something?”

The Doctor touched his fingers to get temples and closed his eyes. “No,” he said. “I can't. Not unless you've got a genetics lab.”

“A genetics lab?”

“Yes. If I could change her biology enough to support a Time Lord mind I could possibly save her but the kind of technology I'd need won't exist on this planet for hundreds of years.” He cradled the unconscious woman in his arms, pressing his forehead to hers. “I'm so sorry, Donna.”

“Come then,” Chiana said urgently. “I will take you to the Lab.”

He looked up. “What?”

“You need a genetics lab, I will take you there. And I think we should hurry.” When he opened his mouth to ask what she was talking about, she raised a hand. “Do not ask questions now. Bring your friend. We can talk when we are there.”

The Doctor nodded and got to his feet, scooping Donna off the ground. Chiana turned and began leading him down the halls.

“But my virus switched off this whole base. Will there be power?”

“It has its own power. Most of the people did not know about it. I am not supposed to know about it.” She stopped by a locked door. “Can you get us in?”

“I don't have my screwdriver,” he said.

She grinned and pulled something out of her pocket. “One of the guards was the one Corain gave this to. I found it in one of his pockets.”

“My screwdriver!”

“Can you open the door?”

“I've got my hands full, literally,” he said. “But it's easy to do. Just point it at the lock, press the button, and think.”

Chiana nodded before doing what he had said. The screwdriver whirred and the door slid open a moment later. The sound of an alarm cut through the air.

“That can't be good.”

“It is just the evacuation warning. Your virus shut it off out here. It is still on in there. Come.”

“Okay, so if this isn’t attached to the rest of the base, why do you still look like a Ryonian?” he challenged.

“They never used a perception filter down here.”

“I see. Now, can you tell me why the Thyorans have a genetics lab?”

“They were working on a machine that targets specific races. They needed the Lab to test humans so they could set the machine to target them,” Chiana explained. “But they took it much further. They began experimenting with human DNA, changing it to become more like that of a Ryonian.”

They passed through a final door into a large lab. Strange looking instruments covered half the tables. Two of the walls were lined with containers full of bubbling liquid. The third was covered by multiple stasis chambers. Most were occupied by a human, or by a bizarre combination of human and Ryonian.

The Doctor's face darkened. “This is wrong. Everything happening here is wrong.”

“Yes. That is why I was here, to try and stop it.” She pushed a blue strand of hair out of her face. “Now, can you help your friend?”

He gently lay Donna on one of the empty tables. Pulling off his jacket, he folded it up and tucked it under her head. Then he clapped his hands together and looked around the room.

“Right. Now, let's see what we've got here.”

He began working frantically, hooking up Donna to a life-support system before looking for the supplies he needed. Every now and then, he would send Chiana to fetch something or hand him something. When she wasn't being asked to do something, she alternated between pacing the length of the table and standing motionless as she nervously watched him work.

After nearly half an hour, he looked up.

“I think I've done it. Her life signs are returning to normal.”

Suddenly, Donna coughed. She sat upright and turned, resting her palms on the table as she continued to cough. The Doctor watched as she struggled to catch her breath. Then she looked up.

“Where's the Doctor?” she asked.

“You remember the Doctor?”

“Yeah, I do. Where is he?” She swung her feet off the table.

“Well, uh . . .” He picked up his coat and pulled out on.

“Wait a minute. You're the Doctor, aren't you?”

“Yes. Yes, I am,” he grinned.

“You’re still dressing like an idiot then, spaceman,” she teased. “The bowtie? Really?”

He reached up and straightened the item of clothing in question. “Bowties are cool.”

Leaping off the table she pulled him into a hug. They both laughed as he picked her up and spun her around.

“I've missed you, Donna.”

Chiana cleared her throat. They both looked at her.

“I am sorry to break up the reunion but we should be going,” she said.

“Yes, right.”

“Doctor, why are there Ryonians on earth?” Donna asked.

“Testing a weapon. And we need to stop them from ever doing this again.”

He motioned for them to follow him out of the room. They glanced at each other before doing so.

“What’s your name?”

“Chiana.”

Donna smiled. “I’m Donna Noble. You're fighting against your own people?”

“I am not part of this group. Most of the people on Ryonia do not support the methods of the Thyorans. I was sent to sabotage their experiments.”

“Oh, I see.”

“The Doctor said you were his friend?” Chiana asked.

“Yes. I traveled with him about five years ago.”

“He said you did not remember him.”

“No, I would have died. I don’t know what he did to fix me. I’ll have to ask. . . . Though now really isn’t the time,” she added when the Doctor turned and hushed them.

“Do you remember him now?” Chiana asked softly.

“Yes.”

“But you did not recognize him at first.”

“No. He’s changed since I last saw him.”

“Changed?”

“Yes.” She paused. “I wonder how long it’s been for him.”

“You said five years.”

“For me, yes. But I’m sure it’s been longer for him.”

Chiana glanced at her curiously. Before she could speak, the Doctor stopped and they nearly bumped into him.

“We need to come up with a plan,” he whispered.

“General Corain will have gone to the evacuation ships to stop the others from leaving. By now he will have people trying to reboot the system,” Chiana offered. “And, of course, looking for us.”

“So, the top priority is to make sure they don't bring the machine back online,” the Doctor said. “Then we need to get those in charge and take them to the Shadow Proclamation.”

“The Shadow Proclamation cannot help. It is a civil war. They have no jurisdiction.”

“They tortured all of London. Earth is a Level Five planet. They can't do that. And I saw what they had in those stasis chambers back there,” Donna pointed out. “They've broken several laws. And they aren't on Ryonia right now. The Shadow Proclamation can intervene.”

“Let’s get back to the main control room,” the Doctor suggested. “We can start there.”

Donna nodded.

“Follow me then,” Chiana said.

They crept through the halls, ducking into a hidden corner when they heard footsteps approaching them. Two guards made their way past their hiding spot. Once they were certain they were gone, they moved back into the corridor and quickly made their way to the control room. Corain stood in the middle of the room, watching as his men were desperately trying to bring the computer back online.

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and stepped into the room. Raising it above his head, he pressed the button and it let out a loud, high-pitched sound. Everyone turned to look at him, covering their ears in an attempt to block out the shrill noise. The sound rose in pitch and the glass cases containing parts of the machinery shattered.

“Hello,” he declared after he removed his finger from the button. “I’m the Doctor. You’ve broken a lot of rules by coming here. You’ve attacked a Level Five planet without being provoked and you’ve experimented on innocent people. The Shadow Proclamation will have something to say about this.” He smirked at them. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

Corain’s lips twisted into a sneer. “You have not contacted them yet and we will not give you that chance.”

He raised a hand and the guards raised their guns. They fired a volley of laser bolts at the trio who ducked out of the way. They stopped firing when one of the people at the computers let out a shout. A moment later, the computers flickered back to life.

“Excellent,” Corain said. “And the machine?”

“We still cannot get it online. We have not been able to gauge the damage yet.”

“Hurry and find out,” he barked.

The Doctor pulled Chiana’s communicator out of his pocket and sonicked it. Then he sent a message to the Shadow Proclamation before jumping to his feet.

“You’d better get off this planet now,” he warned. “I’ve contacted the Shadow Proclamation and they’ll be here any minute. If they find you here, you’ll be in more trouble than I think you’re willing to risk.”

“You are lying,” Corain growled.

“Am I?” The Doctor sonicked the device again and the reply rang out across the room.

“Thank you, Doctor. We will be there shortly.”

Corain let out an angry snarl, narrowing his yellow eyes. He crossed the room to the computers and slammed a hand down on a button. The alarms rang out again and all the Ryonians scrambled for the exits. Then he pulled out his gun and leveled it at the Doctor's chest.

“You will not stop us.”

“I have no intention of stopping you. You're the Shadow Proclamation’s problem now,” the Doctor replied. “I gave you fair warning.”

Donna got to her feet. Chiana followed, standing behind her and watching the Corain warily. He had begun backing towards the door, his gun still pointed at the Doctor.

What happened next took only a few seconds, but it felt much longer.

The Doctor shifted his weight to the other foot.

Corain pulled the trigger.

Donna shouted at the Doctor.

Corain turned and bolted from the room.

Donna ran to push the Doctor out of the way.

He stumbled to one side.

The laser bolt hit Donna in the chest.

She crumpled to the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't planning on ending it here originally but I figured I'd leave it on a bit of a cliffhanger. Hehehe.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this. Please take the time to let me know what you thought of it. It really means a lot to me.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	18. The Doctor Donna

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I've probably broken some rules and I definitely started rambling at one point but this is the last of the Donna chapters for a while. I hope you enjoy!

“No!” the Doctor yelled for the second time that day. He rushed towards Donna, dropping to his knees beside her and pulling her into his arms. “No, no, no, no, Donna. No. I'm not losing you again. Not after just getting you back.”

“Doctor?” she whispered.

“I'm here Donna. Stay with me. We'll get you back down to the Lab. I'm sure I can find something to help you.” He caught her hand in his, squeezing it gently.

Chiana knelt beside them. “Doctor,” she said gently. “It is a genetics lab, not a hospital. You cannot help her there.”

“I have to try.”

“You know it will not work.”

“Doctor?” Donna whispered again.

He looked down at her.

“Is this what dying feels like?” she asked. “Sort of tingly? And warm?”

He frowned slightly, remembering the slightly odd, numb feeling he had felt as River's poison slowly shut off his body.

“Tingly, maybe,” he said. “But warm? That's more how I feel when--” He broke off as a golden light began to glow beneath the skin of her hands. Letting out a gasp, he gently let her settle back on the floor before getting to his feet and pulling Chiana out of the way.

“Doctor, what is happening?” she asked.

“I'm not sure,” he admitted. “I didn't think it was possible, but it looks like she's regenerating. We need to stay back.”

The golden light spread from her hands up her arms. Her face began glowing, patches of light shining out from under her skin. A few moments later, her whole body was glowing. The energy began seeping through her skin, rising off of her in swirling wisps.

For a few moments, she was engulfed in swirling golden energy. And then it was gone. The Doctor rushed back to her.

“Donna?” he whispered, leaning over her motionless form.

Her eyes fluttered opened.

“What happened?”

“Donna! You’re alive!”

She pushed herself into a sitting position. “Doctor, what happened?” she repeated. Her hand made her way to her chest where a hole was burned into her shirt. “Didn’t I get shot?”

“Can I?” he asked, gesturing to where her hand sat below her left collarbone. She nodded so he carefully reached forward and examined the area where the shot had hit her. The skin beneath the charred fabric was unbroken.

“That was regeneration energy,” Donna said. It wasn’t a question.

“Yes,” the Doctor confirmed, frowning.

“But I haven’t changed, have I?”

He shook his head. “No.”

He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and began scanning her. She watched him with an amused expression.

“Oi! Stop bleeping me,” she teased.

He chuckled and met her gaze before flicking his wrist to extend the screwdriver’s four claws and check the readings. “Oh.”

“What?”

“I think I understand. Most of the regeneration energy I poured into my hand went to making that second version of me, but I don’t think all of it was used. The rest of it must have gone into you.”

“We already know that.”

“No,” he protested. “What I mean is, some of that energy changed you, but what about the rest?”

“Okay, what about it?” Donna said.

“I think that it must have just been sitting there, useless, until I began messing with your biology.”

“Or until I was dying,” she pointed out.

“No, you were dying already. It couldn’t have helped.”

“But I didn’t change,” she said.

“Well, it wasn’t much energy; enough to heal you, not to change you.” He got to her feet and helped her up. “I’m not sure if you’ll be able to do it again.”

“In other words, try not to get killed.”

The Doctor grinned. Then he turned to Chiana.

“What are you going to do now?”

She blinked once, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. “I will return home and continue the fight.”

“I can take you back to Ryonia if you like,” the Doctor offered.

“That would be good,” she said.

Donna stepped forward. “What about the people downstairs?”

“Right, we should deal with them,” the Doctor said. “Chiana?”

“This way.”

She led them down to the Lab. Once they were there. Donna and the Doctor opened all the stasis chambers. Unfortunately, the Ryonian’s experiments had brought all of them to an inch of life and even the Doctor wouldn’t have been able to save them if he tried. Once they had gotten everyone out, they quickly decided what they should do.

“We can’t leave them here,” Donna pointed out, gesturing to a woman whose tan skin was marked by large patches of purple. “If humans found them it’d cause chaos.”

“We can’t leave any of this here. We need to do something about this lab and that machine up there. The obvious thing would be to call U.N.I.T., but I don’t want them getting their hands near anything like that machine. Who knows what they could do with it.”

“Could we destroy it?” Chiana asked. “You know, blow it up or something?”

“No, I don’t like blowing things up,” the Doctor said firmly.

Donna gave him a look.

“Okay, maybe that’s not exactly true.”

“There’s equipment in here that could easily cause an explosion,” she pointed out.

The Doctor nodded and they set to work. A few minutes later, they had rigged up a makeshift bomb. They set the timer to detonate the bomb in seven minutes.

“Come on,” the Doctor said, motioning to the two women. “We need to get out of here. The Tardis is really close.”

They left the Lab, running through the corridors until they came to the exit. The Doctor sonicked the door shut behind them.

“This should contain the explosion,” he said. “But just in case, let’s get out of here.”

He led them away from the building to where he had parked the Tardis. Donna let out a gasp when the blue box came into view. She ran towards it, resting her palm against the door. The wood hummed beneath her hand.

“Hello again,” she murmured. She took in the sight of the ship, gently tracing a finger over the St. John Ambulance logo. She turned to the Doctor. “She's changed.”

He grinned. “Wait till you see inside.”

“What is this?” Chiana asked.

“It’s the Tardis,” Donna said. “His spaceship.”

Chiana raised an eyebrow. “It’s made of woo—”

She was cut off by the sound of a muffled explosion behind them. They turned just in time to see smoke and flames shooting from any crack they could find.

“Well, that’s done then,” the Doctor said. He pulled the key out of his pocket and unlocked the door, pushing it open so Donna and Chiana could see inside. The latter let out a gasp.

“It’s bigger inside!” she exclaimed.

“You’ve redecorated,” Donna observed. She pulled a face. “I don’t like it.”

The Doctor scowled. “What’s wrong with it?”

She shrugged. “I mean, I don’t hate it but I miss the old one. It was nice. This one has too much metal.”

“It used to be very bright. It was all gold-colored metal, a glass floor with blue lights under it, lots of space.”

Donna raised her eyebrows. “Then why’d you change it?”

He lowered his gaze.

“Too many memories,” he muttered. He looked up and started towards the console. “Anyway, next stop, Ryonia!”

She joined him at the controls.

“Allons-y!”

He grinned at her. “Geronimo!”

They each pulled a lever and the Time Rotor began moving up and down. Donna grinned as the wheezing sound of the Tardis engines began.

“I’ve missed that sound,” she said.

The Doctor laughed.

About half an hour later, they had dropped Chiana off on Ryonia and were landing on the street from across Donna’s house. The Doctor frowned at the monitor.

“You're still living with your mother?” he asked. “What happened to your husband?”

Donna's gaze clouded over and her hands stilled at the controls.

“Shaun was in a car accident a few years ago. The doctors thought he was going to make a full recovery, but he just got worse. He died a few months later.”

“Oh.” The Doctor shuffled his feet awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

Donna looked up suddenly. “How do you do it? How do you keep on going after losing everyone you love? I lost one person and it was so hard to get up and keep going, but you've lived so long and lost so many people. How do you do it?”

“I don't,” he admitted. “I made some pretty bad decisions after I lost you. And I just spent the last few years hiding on a cloud, sulking.”

Donna raised her eyebrows.

“Maybe we should go inside,” she suggested.

As they stepped out of the Tardis, someone came out of the house.

“Wilf!” the Doctor exclaimed.

“It's you, isn't it?”

The Doctor grinned. He grabbed Wilf’s hand and shook it. “It's so good to see you again.”

“And you, but you can't be here. What about Donna?” He pulled his hand from the Doctor's and gestured to his granddaughter.

“I'm fine, Gramps,” she laughed. “The Doctor fixed me.”

“Really? I thought you said you couldn't.”

The Doctor shrugged. “I was young and emotional when I said that. Now I'm older and wiser, and I'm very glad Amy and River aren't here ‘cause I'm sure they'd have something to say about that.”

“River Song?” Donna asked.

Before the Doctor could answer, the front door opened again and Donna's mother came out.

“Donna, get in the house,” she said. Her gaze fell on the Doctor. “Who are you?”

He grinned. “Hello, Sylvia.”

“How do you know who I am?” she demanded.

“Mum, he's the Doctor,” Donna said. “And I can remember him without my mind burning up now.”

“Really? How?”

Donna turned to the Doctor.

“Perhaps we should go inside,” he suggested.

A few minutes later, they were sitting at the table in the kitchen. Donna was busy making them some tea as the Doctor explained what he had done to keep her from dying.

“I don't think I understand,” Wilf said when he stopped taking.

He opened his mouth to reply, but Donna cut him off.

“Basically, I'm about half Time Lord now. Before I just had a Time Lord mind. Now, I've got at least a little bit of regeneration energy—”

“Which you technically had earlier,” the Doctor interrupted.

She ignored him. “And I've got two hearts, which is a little weird.” She frowned and turned to the Doctor. “Wait, will I age?”

“Of course you'll age. Everyone ages. Even I age. I just age more slowly than humans. And you're probably going to age more slowly as well. Maybe not as slowly as me but definitely slower than everyone else. I had to slow your body clock and that was before I knew you had any regeneration energy.”

Donna nodded as he continued rambling. She set a cup of tea in front of him. Glancing at her grandfather, she joked, “And I thought the last one talked a lot. At least I understand what he's saying now.”

Wilf chuckled. “Well, I don't.”

“So, you're an alien now?” Sylvia asked.

“I wasn't completely human before. And I'm still half human now,” Donna explained.

As she took her seat, she turned her attention back to the rambling Doctor.

“I also had to delete a lot of your memories. Well, my memories. Anyway, once I had sort of merged your mind with mine, you still had nine hundred years of memories crammed into your head, so I deleted them. I left the information though. You're still the Doctor Donna.”

“I don't understand,” Sylvia said.

“I'll explain later,” Donna replied.

Sylvia nodded. Then she and Wilf decided to leave Donna and the Doctor to talk.

“How old are you now, Doctor?”

“Nearly twelve hundred.”

“So it's been nearly three hundred years since you last saw me. You haven't been alone the whole time, I hope.”

He shook his head. “No. I was traveling with the Ponds.”

“The Ponds?”

“Amy and Rory Pond,” he explained, a distant look appearing on his face. “I met Amy just after I regenerated. She was seven when we met, but she didn't travel with me until she was 21.”

“What happened to them?” Donna asked carefully.

“Weeping Angel. They're stuck in 1930’s New York. And I can't go back for them because it would cause a paradox and we had already made one.”

“And a second one would have torn New York apart?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh. I'm sorry,” Donna said. A few moments passed before she ventured a question. “You mentioned a River earlier. I assume that was Professor Song?”

“Yeah. I ran into a younger version of her a few years later.”

“Did you ever figure out who she was?” Donna asked. “‘Cause the way she looked at you and spoke about you made me wonder if she was your wife.”

The Doctor grinned. “She is my wife, but it's a bit more complicated than that.”

“What could be more complicated than first meeting your wife the day she dies?” she demanded.

“Maybe the fact that's she's actually Amy and Rory's daughter, Melody Pond, who was kidnapped and trained to kill me because she was part Time Lord. Then she grew up alongside her parents as their best friend before getting shot by Hitler and regenerating into the River you met, killing me, and then sacrificing her remaining regenerations to save me. Then she became an archeologist, was forced to kill me again, didn't kill me, froze time, married me, killed me, then spent the next hundred years or so escaping prison every other night to go on an adventure,” the Doctor said, accompanying his explanation with some rather dramatic gesturing.

“Wow, I guess that is more complicated,” Donna admitted. “So is she still traveling with you?”

He shook his head. “She never really traveled with me. Only joined me for a few adventures before going back to prison or to Luna to teach archeology.” His face fell again. “And I don't think I'll ever see her again.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“You remember that blue diary she had? The one that looked a bit like the Tardis?”

Donna nodded.

“Well, I've lived through every adventure she had written in there. All that's left for her is to go to the Library.”

“What if there's something that neither of you has done yet?” she suggested.

He shook his head. “Our life doesn't work like that.”

“Oh. I'm sorry.” Donna frowned. “So, who do you have now? You really need someone. You aren't good on your own.”

“I know, but I don't have someone right now. Although . . .” The Doctor seemed to brighten and he leaned forward. “I'm actually looking for someone right now. I met her twice, but she died both times.”

“What?”

He quickly explained about meeting Clara at the Dalek Asylum and then again in Victorian London.

“And you're sure it's the same woman?” Donna asked doubtfully. 

“Yes. Same name, same voice, same last words. It has to be her. And she’s got to be out there somewhere but I don't know where to start,” the Doctor said. “It would be easier if I knew a time period, but I met her once in the past and once in the future. She could be anywhere.”

“Well, if you've met her twice then she must have something to do with you,” Donna assured him. “I mean, I met you twice.”

“True. And you turned out to be the most important person in the universe.”

They continued talking for several hours. Eventually, the Doctor decided it was time to go, so Donna walked him to the Tardis.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?” he asked.

She looked around the Tardis, a fond smile on her face.

“I’d love to, but I can’t,” she sighed. “If I did, I don’t think I could go back to living a normal life again.”

“But you can’t live normally,” the Doctor said. “Soon enough, people are going to notice that you aren’t aging.”

“Then maybe I'll travel with you later.”

“You'll always be welcome.”

Donna just smiled in response. They hugged each other tightly and she laughed, “You're not quite so skinny anymore, spaceman.”

The Doctor chuckled. “It's good to have you back.”

“It's good to be back,” she replied. “Goodbye, Doctor.”

“Bye, Donna.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this random, Riverless story. If you did, or even if you didn't, please leave a comment telling me what you think.
> 
> Unfortunately, this was my last chapter with Eleven. Good news is, River will be back next chapter! It's time for post-Darillium stories!! (I'm so excited. Lol.)
> 
> Anyway, if you have anything you want to happen on Darillium just let me know and I may just do it.


	19. Twenty-four Years

River made her way around the corner, expecting to find her husband. Instead, she found herself facing Hydroflax's giant, red, metal body. But the head on top was instantly recognizable.

"Ramone?" she gasped.

"Professor Song," he said. "The Doctor will be with you in a moment."

She made her way towards him. "What are you doing here?"

"They pulled us from the wreckage, ma'am. Fixed us up. I've been working here ever since. Don't worry. The nasty part's all gone. Got deleted in a merger," he assured her.

Her eyes ran over the robot body. "What about Nardole?"

"Oh, Merry Christmas, ma'am," Nardole's voice echoed from inside the body. "Yeah, good to see you again."

She blinked in surprise before grinning. "Merry Christmas, Nardole!"

"Sorry I'm off duty. I'm just having some me time."

"I imagine that must be quite a challenge," she called.

"Yes, ma'am." Nardole chuckled.

"So, Ramone," River said. "You have a metal body now." She raised a hand, running her palm over the smooth metal.

A voice came from behind her.

"Down, girl."

River spun around to see her husband standing a few feet away. He had swapped his burgundy velvet jacket for a black suit and tie. Pulling a gold box out from behind his back, he started towards her.

"Now that, my dear, is a suit," she complimented.

"Happy Christmas," he said, offering her the box. It had a red ribbon and bow decorating the top.

"Really?" she asked, glancing at him. "I don't think you've ever given me a present before."

He shrugged. Glancing at him curiously, she lifted the lid and peeked inside.

"Oh, it's a sonic screwdriver!" she gasped, gently touching the end of it with her thumb. "How lovely!"

"When I saw the sonic trowel, I thought it was just embarrassing," he explained, gesturing awkwardly. "But, look."

He took it out of the box and activated it, taking the opportunity to save her consciousness into it and setting it to continue taking readings off of her.

"Oh, thank you," she exclaimed as he put the screwdriver back in the box. She caught his head in her hand and pulled him closer, pressing a kiss to both of his cheeks.

He grinned at her, surprised that he hadn't minded the familiar gesture. They started towards the balcony.

"You look, uh, amazing," he stammered, gesturing vaguely at her dress.

"Doctor, you have no idea whether I look amazing or not," River laughed.

"Well, you've cer— You've moved your hair about, haven't you?" He pointed hopefully at her hair.

"Well done. It's very sweet of you to try."

"So what do you think?" He placed a hand on her arm, pulling her onto the balcony as he set the box on the table. He pointed at the view before then. "The Singing Towers."

River stared in awe at the sight in front of her. The two pillars stood tall on the horizon, lit up by the golden sun setting behind them. She was drawn towards them like a magnet, and she let out a soft gasp. He moved to stand beside her, watching her fondly.

"The music," she breathed. They both looked at the towers.

"Listen to it," she gasped, turning to look at her husband. Her smile faded. "Are you crying?"

"No," he said softly, avoiding her gaze. "Just the wind."

"Nothing's ever just the wind."

"No?" he asked, turning to look at her. "It blows through the cave system and harmonises with the crystal layer."

He was grinning, but she could still read him, even with his new face. In fact, it was almost easier to read this face. "Why are you sad?"

"Why are _you_ sad?"

"I told you, my diary's nearly full," she admitted. "I worry."

"Please don't."

River stared at him for a moment, trying to decide what he meant. Then she turned to look at the towers again.

"There are stories about us, you know," she started hesitantly.

"Oh, I dread to think," the Doctor groaned, turning away from her to look at the towers.

"I look them up sometimes."

"You really shouldn't do that."

"Some of them suggest that the very last night we spend together is at the Singing Towers of Darillium." She turned to look at him. "That wouldn't be true, would it?"

He didn't meet her gaze. "Spoilers."

River let out a breath that was more of a sob than she'd readily admit. There had been none of the flirty playfulness that usually accompanied that word in his voice. He had said it softly, and it had carried a sort of finality that scared her.

"Well, that would explain why you kept cancelling coming here," she said, forcing a laugh. "Do you remember that time . . ."

"River, stop."

". . . when there were two of you—"

"Please, just don't," he begged.

"Because I want you to know that if this is the last night, I expect you to find a way round it."

"Not everything can be avoided," he said, looking her in the eye. "Not forever."

"But you're you," she replied desperately. "There's always a loophole. You wait until the last minute and then you spring it on me."

"Every night is the last night for something. Every Christmas is last Christmas."

"But you will," she insisted. "You'll wait until I've given up hope. All will be lost, and you'll do that smug little smile and then you'll save the day. You always do." She laughed, but it was a desperate laugh.

"No, I don't. Not always. Times end, River, because they have to. Because there's no such thing as happy ever after. It's just a lie we tell ourselves because the truth is so hard." He was avoiding her gaze again.

All traces of a smile had faded from River's face. "No, Doctor, you're wrong." He turned to look at her, frowning slightly. "Happy ever after doesn't mean forever. It just means time. Little time. But that's not the sort of thing you could ever understand, is it?"

River had long since accepted that her husband would never understand the importance of the little moments. He had a time machine that could take him anywhere he wanted and he could visit the same event multiple times. He had lived for hundreds of years. Those little moments that were precious to her were simply a drop of water in the sea of time to him. She had convinced herself that she didn't mind but now that it was over, she wished he understood how she felt.

"Hmm." He turned back to looking towards the horizon. He knew what he needed to tell her, what he needed her to hear, but he still couldn't bring himself to say the words. "What do you think of the towers?" he asked, turning to look at her.

"I love them," she replied, but her gaze didn't leave his face.

"Then why are you ignoring them?"

"They're ignoring me. But then you can't expect a monolith to love you back."

"No, you can't," he said softly, recognizing her words as an expression of her doubt and insecurity. He looked back at the towers. "They've been there for millions of years, through storms and floods and wars and . . . time."

River tore her gaze from the Doctor's face. She had hoped that alluding to what she had said on the ship would prompt him to address the issue, even if to confirm the fact that he didn't really love her, but he was still the Doctor. When the conversation got difficult, he began talking about the nearest landmark or species.

"Nobody really understands where the music comes from. It's probably something to do with the precise positions, the distance between both towers," he went on, pointing at them. "Even the locals aren't sure. All anyone will ever tell you is that when the wind stands fair and the night is perfect, when you least expect it but always when you need it the most . . . there is a Song."

His voice had dropped to a mere whisper. It was the closest he could get to telling her what he needed to. He only hoped she understood.

River let out a sigh. Her gaze dropped to the rail. Something was telling her that the Doctor's last words hadn't been about the towers at all. Part of her was overjoyed, but the rest was devastated. She wanted more time. Time with the husband she loved. Time with the husband who may just love her back.

"So," she said, trying to keep an even voice as she turned to look up at the Doctor. "Assuming tonight is all we have left . . ."

"I didn't say that," he tried to reassure her.

"How long is a night on Darillium?" she asked, moving closer to him.

He offered her a small smile before glancing up at the towers. Then he leaned towards her.

"Twenty four years," he whispered.

Her breath came out in a laugh choked by a sob. He was watching her as she grinned at him, laughing while still fighting back tears.

"I hate you," she managed, looking away because she knew she'd start crying if she didn't.

"No, you don't," the Doctor replied fondly.

She turned back to look at him, her gaze moving down to his lips before meeting his eyes once more. They were filled with so much love that she wondered how she had ever doubted him.

River was about to lean forward and kiss him but something made her hesitate. He had protested when she had grabbed his hand and his eyebrows didn't exactly scream, "I love cuddles."

She opened her mouth to suggest they go get dinner when he surprised her by dipping his head to press a gentle kiss to her lips. She blinked up at him in surprise.

"What?" he asked.

"You don't have to do that," she said. "It's okay if you're not comfortable with any sort of intimate contact."

"Why do you assume I'm not?"

"You don't look the type. I mean, those eyebrows? At least we know where the last ones went now."

The Doctor chuckled. "They really are something, aren't they?"

"I like them. They make you look distinguished," River said. "That and the grey hair."

He raised his eyebrows. "What happened to me doing my roots?"

He was startled by the sight of a faint blush spreading across her cheeks.

"I decided I like it," she mumbled.

He grinned. "So I don't have to check with the stars?"

His grin widened as her blush darkened. She hit him in the arm and he let out a soft chuckle. She huffed and turned to look at the towers again. He leaned towards her so he could whisper in her ear.

"River, you're my wife," he said gently. "I know I'm not the same man you married. I'm older and grumpy and Scottish. But you're still the woman I married, and my feelings for you haven't changed."

She turned to look at him again, her cheeks still a faint pink. He went on.

"I didn't kiss you because I think I have to, I kissed you because I wanted to. You're right about the fact that I'm not really comfortable with physical contact, but you make me want to be comfortable with it. And somehow the thought of being near you doesn't seem quite as bad."

He had moved to stand behind her as he spoke. Then he slipped his arms around her waist, linking his fingers together over her belly and resting his chin on her shoulder. They stood like this for several minutes in comfortable silence.

"You're wrong, you know," River murmured presently.

"Oh?"

She twisted around to look at him. "You are the same man I married. You always will be."

"Hmm." He settled his chin back on her shoulder, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "I can only hope that's true."

River was tempted to argue, but she was too happy to bother. The promise of twenty-four years hung in the air. There would be plenty of time to argue and fight to their hearts' content. She let out a contented sigh.

"I love you," she murmured.

The Doctor smiled against her cheek. He remembered how scared he had been the first time she had told him that all those years ago, sitting in the doorway to the Tardis, watch a star explode. But now he was happy. He could still barely believe that this mad, wonderful woman loved him, but he wouldn't have it any other way. He knew he was a jealous old fool, but he would readily fight anyone else who dared lay claim to his wife's hearts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! River's back!
> 
> Anyway, I've already got two more chapters finished. I was really productive this weekend! (I still haven't touched my homework though. I should probably do that.)
> 
> Grammarly is telling me that this note is very egocentric. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's 'cause I keep using the word "I".
> 
> Okay, so I'll be posting the next chapter tomorrow and the third one the day after that. I'd do it all at once but if I space them out a bit more, there won't be quite as long a wait when my writing slows.
> 
> Also, if you have any suggestions for anything that could happen on Darillium, please let me know. I've got a few ideas but I want a lot more. Especially fluffy ones.
> 
> Please leave a comment telling me what you think of this chapter. (I know most of it is straight from THORS but I love that scene, even though it makes me want to cry. I had to watch it over and over again to write this and I was close to tears.)
> 
> Apparently this note is still egocentric. Humph. (And it's also slightly confident, which is good, and sad, which is weird. Except, I was mentioning crying earlier.)( Now it's happy, friendly, and confident. Whatever.)


	20. Dinner and Dancing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I said I was going to update this yesterday but I forgot. Sorry.

River and the Doctor had been standing by the rail in silence for several minutes, watching as the sun slowly crept towards the horizon and listening to the haunting melody drifting through the air. His arms were wrapped tightly around her middle and her back was pressed against his chest. Her own arms were crossed over his, keeping him there.

This Doctor felt slightly different than the last. They were about the same height, but he was a bit thinner than he had been. He had more angles now, but she still fit comfortably in his arms. And when he had kissed her, his lips had felt thinner as well. His smell was different too. Bowtie had smelled like metal and freshly cut grass and jammy dodgers. Now the Doctor smelled like coffee and leather and old books. But one thing was the same. The smell of Time still clung to him as it always had and it was enough to make all the new smells and feelings seem old and familiar. Standing there in his arms, River felt safer and more secure than she had in many years.

“Darling, why don't we get something to eat?” she murmured.

The Doctor hummed softly but made no effort to move for several minutes. She didn't bother repeating herself. Eventually, his grip on her loosened and he pulled away. She missed his warmth immediately.

They made their way to the small table on the balcony. The Doctor pulled out the chair facing the towers and motioned for her to sit. He gently pushed her chair in once she had before taking the seat facing her.

“Now you can't see the towers,” she pointed out.

“I already know what they look like,” he said. “Besides, I've got something better to look at.”

River flushed slightly, lowering her gaze to her plate. The Doctor smiled, hesitantly placing a hand on hers where it was resting on the table. She looked up and smiled back at him.

“How did you get this table?” she asked.

“I made reservations four years ago.”

River's soft laughter rang through the air, pulling another smile to the Doctor's lips. He had been so certain he would never see his wife again yet here she was, sitting across from him, a radiant smile lighting up her face.

“Do they know you took a shortcut?”

He chuckled. “I doubt it.”

Just then, a waiter appeared with the first course. He set the plates on the table and lit the candles.

“I took the liberty of ordering our food,” the Doctor explained when the young man had left. “I'm not ready to share you yet.”

“Well, it looks delicious,” she said, picking up her napkin and spreading it across her lap.

They began eating in silence, simply enjoying each other's presence. Eventually, River looked at her husband and frowned.

“Sweetie, do you know what happened to the diamond? I didn't have it when I woke up.”

The Doctor looked embarrassed. “I may have given it to someone.”

He glanced up to find her glaring at her.

“Darling, it wasn't yours to give away,” she said icily.

“It wasn't yours to sell either,” he pointed out. “Besides, it went to a good cause.”

“What cause?”

He grinned and gestured around them. She let out a soft gasp.

“This place didn't exist when we crashed here. I gave the diamond to a young man and told him to build a restaurant.”

River looked around them, taking in the building around her for the first time. She had heard so many stories about the Singing Towers of Darillium and the restaurant overlooking it. It was described by many people as the best restaurant in the universe and she knew that their table was the most sought after table ever. The descriptions and pictures did nothing to prepare a person for the actual sight.

“You had this place built for me?” she breathed. She could barely believe it.

He nodded slightly and she let out a breathless laugh. “You had it built for me with my own money.”

He snorted. “Stolen money. Besides, I don't own any money.”

She laughed again and they began talking softly, swapping stories about the different scrapes they had gotten into since they had last seen each other. They continued talking long after their dessert plates had been cleared from the table.

The sun had finally touched the horizon when River jumped to her feet and moved around the table. She caught her husband's hands in hers and pulled him up.

“River, what are you doing?”

“Let's dance,” she said. She took one of his hands with her own, resting her other hand on his shoulder.

“Uh, uh, uh. I'm not sure I know how to,” he stammered. His hand hovered over her waist, not quite settling.

“Oh, come on,” she laughed. “You can't be worse than Bowtie.”

His hand finally rested on her waist, automatically pulling her closer.

“This isn't really music you dance to,” he protested.

She hushed him and began swaying to the mysterious song coming from the towers. He joined her automatically, and they began slowly moving around the balcony. Their gazes were locked on each other, neither one looking away.

As River stared into her husband's eyes, she wondered how she had ever mistaken him for anyone but who he was. His eyes weren't the same color anymore, they were now a clear blue, but they were still the same eyes. They still carried the weight of hundreds of years of pain and loss and suffering . . . and love. He was still looking at her the way he always had. There wasn't as much curiosity as when he was very young and there seemed to be impossibly more love than she had ever noticed before, but he was still looking at her like she was the world.

“It's not often that I get to tell you you're wrong,” the Doctor murmured. “But you are.”

She glanced at him curiously, raising an eyebrow.

“I'm not the stars and I'm not a sunset. I'm not a monolith either. I'm just a broken idiot who flies around the universe in a blue box, and I don't ever want you to think I'm not _capable_ of loving you,” he said softly. “You, on the other hand, are amazing. The things you've lived through, the things you've done, it’s amazing. You managed to break through your programming and began to love the very man you were raised to hate. If either of us doesn't deserve the other, then I'm the one who doesn't deserve you.”

River buried her head in his shoulder to keep him from seeing her blush and her tears. They had stopped moving a while ago and were just swaying gently to the music. Their hands were still entwined, but they were now hanging by their sides.

“You know, I'm beginning to wonder if you really are my wife,” the Doctor chuckled.

She looked up.

“Why?” she demanded.

“The tears, the blushing, and not a single innuendo all evening,” he teased. “You must have knocked your head in the explosion.”

River laughed and let go of his hand to hit him in the arm.

“Oh, shut up.”

“Make me,” he challenged playfully.

She smirked at him before catching his head in her hand and pulling him into a kiss. He laughed against her mouth before returning the kiss.

He was pleasantly surprised to find he didn't mind kissing River. He had always enjoyed kissing her when he was Bowtie and, as he had been waiting for River, he had been worrying about how he would react when she kissed him, or even if she'd want to kiss him. But now he knew he had worried for nothing. He had never craved physical contact before, but now that his wife was back in his arms he knew he wanted her there. She was the one person he wanted near him.

The Doctor's hand had made its way to the back of her head, keeping her close as their lips moved together. Kissing her brought back so many memories that he all but forgotten. Her lips felt so familiar but also so new.

River smiled and hummed softly before pulling away.

“You're certainly getting better,” she teased.

He raised an eyebrow. “Are you reviewing me?”

“You're passing with flying colors, Sweetie. Maybe you need a harder test.” She smirked at him suggestively.

He snorted. “Not your best line, Doctor Song.”

She rolled her eyes, leaning up to steal another kiss. Then they turned to watch as the last rays of the sun slowly disappeared below the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm just really happy to be writing River and Twelve.
> 
> Also, my laptop is being really dumb. It keeps making so much noise and I have to hit it to shut it up. I'm having to keep the keyboard part vertical because every time I set it down it starts complaining.


	21. A Thousand Years of Loving You

“Where are we going?” River laughed as the Doctor led her along a dimly lit corridor.

“I figured we should do something special tonight. We've spent plenty of nights on the Tardis and I'm sure we'll spend more there in the next twenty-four years. They just extended the restaurant to include a hotel and I managed to book one of the best rooms,” he explained. “Here.”

He pushed open a door to reveal a large room with a king-sized bed centered on the far wall. The Tardis sat in a corner of the room. The only light came from candles scattered across every dresser and shelf. The floor was covered with a thick carpet. The bedding and curtains were both a deep red.

River let out a soft gasp.

“This is beautiful,” she breathed. “But you know I'd have been quite happy in the Tardis. How did you pay for this?”

“I didn't have to. I gave them the diamond.”

Before River could say anything else, the Doctor had swept her off her feet, nudged the door shut with a foot, and carried her to the bed. She let out a breathless laugh as she tumbled onto the sheets.

Pulling her husband down after her, she quickly found his lips with her own. He pulled away a moment later, propping himself up on one arm.

“River, it's been a very long time since I left you after Manhattan. And I was literally a different man back then.”

“Sweetie, I'm sure you'll be brilliant,” she assured him. Her fingers threaded through the hair at the base of his neck and he dipped his head to kiss her again.

River curled into her husband, a happy smile plastered on her face. His left arm was thrown over her protectively and he was lazily tracing a finger over her collarbone. She caught his hand in hers, gently touching a finger to the green stone of his ring.

“How long have you worn this?” she asked hesitantly. She really wanted to ask if was for her, but she couldn't bring herself to ask such a selfish question.

“I've worn it since I regenerated. I was very insecure. I hadn't been expecting another body, especially one as old as this one. And it had been so long since I'd seen you that I was afraid I'd forget you. I used it as a reminder.”

“Why would you need to remember me if you thought you'd never see me again?” she murmured.

“Because you're my wife,” he replied. He pressed a gentle kiss to her bare shoulder. “I don't ever want to forget you. I don't think I really could, but, as I said, I was insecure. Besides, I always hoped I'd see you again. I had heard about Darillium so I never quite gave up hope.”

He ran a thumb over her knuckles.

“You aren't wearing any rings right now,” he observed. “You had on two earlier.”

“They were just decoration,” she said.

“Then why'd you take them off?”

“I took off all my jewelry. It just would have gotten in the way.” He could hear the smirk in her voice. “Why do you ask?”

“I just had to make sure you weren't wearing a wedding ring for another man,” he said. “You’ve married so many.” His voice was teasing, but she grinned at the jealousy that had seeped into it.

“You know you're the only one who counts.”

He snorted. “I'm not convinced it works like that.”

“You've married a lot of people too,” she pointed out.

“Not since I married you,” he argued.

She pulled his hand to her lips, pressing kisses to his fingers. His lips were still ghosting over her shoulders, sending shivers down her spine.

“Doctor, how long has it been since you saw me last?”

“A long time,” he muttered.

“Doctor,” she warned. “How long?”

He didn’t reply. Instead, he tried to distract her by pressing more kisses to her neck.

“Doctor,” she repeated.

“I've now known you for over half my life,” he admitted.

She shot upright, turning to look her husband in the face.

“That means it’s been more than six hundred years!” she exclaimed.

“More than a thousand, actually,” he murmured.

“What! And in all that time you never thought to come find me?” she demanded.

“River, it wasn't like that,” he protested.

“You've been married to me for over a thousand years and yet the amount of time we've spent together adds up to about eight years.”

“Seven years, ten months, and twelve days,” he said softly.

She stared at him in surprise.

“You've actually counted?” she breathed.

He reached up to brush a curl out of her face.

“Of course I counted. I didn't have much else to do in Christmas. I spent almost all of those thousand years in that small town on Trenzalore. When I wasn't fending off attacking aliens, I was fixing toys. That gave me plenty of time to think. I can't tell you how many times I counted.”

“You spent a thousand years in one place?”

“As Bowtie,” he added, hoping to make her laugh. Her frown just deepened.

“Why?”

The Doctor slipped his arms around River's waist, pulling her back down on the bed. She settled with her back against his chest and he began tracing circles on her belly as he told her about his thousand years on Trenzalore.

“And you were alone the whole time?” she murmured.

“It's for the best. Any companion I might have had would have died during the first hundred years.”

River rolled over in the Doctor's arms. She raised a hand to rest on his cheek.

“And how did you get this face?”

“For some reason, at the end of those thousand years, the Time Lords decided to give me more regenerations and gave up trying to come through that crack,” he explained.

“What? Just like that?”

He shrugged. “I suppose they must have had a reason but I don't know it.”

She frowned slightly before mimicking his shrug. Then she pressed her forehead against his. Closing her eyes, she let herself enjoy the feeling of his mind brushing against hers.

“So, what do you think?” he asked.

She grinned, opening her eyes to look at him. “I love it,” she murmured. “I love you.”

“Mmm. That's good,” he chuckled, pulling her closer. “Because you're stuck with me now.”

River woke up to the feeling of lips brushing against her shoulders. She rolled over sleepily, accidentally bumping her nose against her husband's.

“Good morning,” she mumbled, a sleepy smile spreading across her face.

He chuckled softly, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“Good morning.”

“What are we doing today?”

“What do you want to do?”

She gave a small smirk. “I don't think I need to answer that question.”

“We might want to get breakfast,” he suggested.

“We can always eat in the Tardis.”

“Come on, River,” he groaned. “We might as well get food we don't have to prepare.”

She yawned and stretched, nudging the Doctor towards the edge of the bed. He pushed the blankets away and reached for his trousers, but before he could stand up, his wife had wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders.

“River,” he groaned.

She pressed a kiss to his ear before letting go of him and slipping off the bed. Snatching the Doctor's shirt off the floor, she pulled it on and quickly did up the buttons.

“You can't keep stealing my shirts,” he protested as he followed her into the Tardis.

“I need something to wear,” she pointed out. “And I'm not putting that dress back on.”

“Why not? You looked lovely in it. Though, honestly, I prefer you without it.”

River stopped in her tracks. She turned to survey her husband, an amused, almost impressed look on her face.

“You really have changed a lot,” she observed. “Bowtie never would have been able to say that without blushing like an idiot.”

“Would you rather have him here?”

She stepped up to him. Resting her palms against his bare chest, she leaned forward so her nose was brushing against his.

“I'm not complaining,” she murmured.

His hands found her waist as she pressed a kiss to his lips. He pulled away a moment later.

“Breakfast, River,” he reminded her. “Go get some clothes.”

“I thought you liked me better without them,” she smirked.

“Mmm. But I'm eager to keep you to myself. Come on.”

He pushed past her and made his way to their bedroom. It had been years since he had seen it. In fact, he had been avoiding the room since he had said goodbye to his wife before leaving her on Luna. A smile tugged on his lips when he saw the room he had shared with his wife.

“You haven't changed a thing,” River observed as she made her way around the room. She opened the closet and looked at all her clothes.

“I never came in here,” he admitted. “While I didn't want to forget you, I didn't want such a strong reminder of what I'd lost.”

“Hmm. I think I should probably take a shower before going out in public. My hair is a nightmare,” she said absentmindedly. She turned to find the Doctor watching her with a fond smile plastered on his face. “What?”

“I've missed you, River,” he said softly.

“I missed you too.”

“No, River,” he said, moving towards her to pull her into his arms. “I've been missing you for over a thousand years. I never forgot you and I never moved on.”

She frowned. “Doctor, please promise me one thing,” she murmured.

“What?”

“We both know I'm not going to live forever and this is the last night we get so spend together. Just promise me that, if you ever find someone else who loves you, don't stop yourself from loving them because of me. You can't cling to my memory forever.”

“I can and I will, River,” he said, his thoughts straying to the neural relay built into her screwdriver. “Please don't ask me to move on.”

She shook her head, her wild curls bouncing with the motion, but a fond smile formed on her lips.

“I guess I was wrong. You're not really that different,” she laughed. “You're still a sentimental idiot.”

“You wouldn't have it any other way.”

She hummed in agreement before pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't going to update today because I was too lazy but I changed my mind so here you go. 
> 
> I've also got two more chapters already written so those should be up soon!


	22. Happy New Year

After spending a second night in the hotel, River and the Doctor had parked the Tardis in an alley near the edge of the city that had grown from the little town beside the restaurant. Every day, the sky was slightly darker, but it still appeared to be permanently dusk.

The next few days seemed to fly by. They spent most of their time in the Tardis, only emerging for a few minutes every evening to take a walk and listen to the towers signing. Then they would eat before curling up on a couch in the library and reading until well after midnight. Every night, River fell asleep in her husband's arms, and every morning she was woken by his lips on her shoulders or neck or pressing gentle kisses to her face and mouth.

She could honestly say she had never been happier, but worry was beginning to gnaw at her insides. She suspected her husband was already getting restless and it was only a matter of time until he left.

Almost a week into their stay, River found herself curled up in the library by herself. It had been nearly half an hour since her husband had nudged her off of him, promising he'd be back soon. She was just beginning to wonder if she should go look for him when he appeared.

She glanced up at him, raising an eyebrow at his appearance. When he had left, he was wearing a white, button-up shirt. It had been tucked into his trousers, but the top two buttons had been left undone. Now his shirt was fully buttoned, and he had added a black waistcoat and the red velvet coat she had grown to love.

“Go put some clothes on, dear,” he said.

Her eyebrow crept closer to her hairline. “Why?”

“Because it's rather cool outside and I think you'd be a bit chilly without your trousers on,” he replied. “Besides, you're wearing my shirt.”

“Are we going somewhere?”

“Yes, you've got five minutes.”

“Sweetie, it's almost midnight. Where are we going?”

Now it was the Doctor's turn to raise his eyebrows.

“Don't you know what day it is?”

She shook her head. “I've never had to bother keeping track of the date when I'm with you.”

“That's because we're usually jumping around.”

“Doctor, what day is it?”

“It's New Year's Eve, River,” he laughed. “Go get dressed. But don't wear anything too fancy. Just something comfortable.”

River let out a dramatic sigh. She closed her book and got to her feet.

“Five minutes?”

“Five,” he repeated. “Six if you give me a kiss.”

She huffed and rolled her eyes. “That's not a fair trade,” she grumbled.

He chuckled as she pushed past him before making her way to their room. He trailed after her, watching as she dug in a drawer for a shirt and trousers. She pulled his shirt over her head, tossing it in the general direction of the bed. Then she pulled on her clothes and shoes.

“You could have given me a little bit more warning,” she complained as she pulled her hair into a messy ponytail. “You used to give me ten minutes.” Moving to pull out a jacket, she glanced at the time. “There's still thirty minutes until midnight. How far away are we going?”

“Not far. It'll take us ten minutes to get there.”

She turned to glare at him, one arm in the sleeve of her jacket.

“Then why do I only get five minutes?” she demanded.

He grinned at her. “Because if I give you five minutes, you'll finish in three. But if I give you ten, you take over fifteen.”

She rolled her eyes, slipping her other arm into the jacket and adjusting it.

“Come on,” he said.

“I'm not ready.”

“Yes, you are.”

She turned, scowling at him as she left the room.

“Why do we need to go anywhere anyway?” she asked. He nearly bumped into her when she stopped abruptly. Turning, she caught the lapels of his coat in her hands and leaned closer to him. “We could just stay here and spend New Year's together,” she purred.

“Mmm. As tempting as that sounds, tonight is the first New Year's Eve that Darillium has had in the dark in over twenty-five years. The fireworks are supposed to be spectacular,” he said, gently prying her fingers from his coat. “Of course, it's still not that dark, so next year is going to be better. Anyway, let's go.”

They left the Tardis and made their way out of the city. All the houses and buildings they passed were lit with Christmas lights and decorations could still be seen through the windows.

“Where are we going?” River asked when they had reached the outskirts of the city.

“It's a surprise,” the Doctor insisted.

A few minutes later, he stopped her and pulled a strip of cloth out of his pocket. She raised her eyebrows but let him tie it over her eyes.

“I'm trusting you'll be a lot less clumsy than Bowtie,” she teased. “The last time I let you blindfold me didn't go well at all.”

He chuckled. “It's not far now. Just be careful. There's a bit of an incline.”

Walking backwards, he carefully guided her with a hand on each of her elbows. Her hands gripped his coat sleeves, and she let out a laugh when she nearly lost her footing. He pulled her along for a few more yards before announcing that they had arrived. A moment later, the blindfold was pulled from her face and she let out a soft gasp.

A blanket was spread on the ground at the top of the low hill overlooking the city. The towers stood tall above the horizon to one side, and a few notes drifted towards them on the breeze. The whole area around the blanket was lit by dozens of candles buried in the sand. A picnic basket sat on a corner of the blanket.

“You did all this?” she breathed.

“Hmm. I know you'd probably have preferred a party I'm not much of a party person anymore.”

She turned to him, offering him a radiant smile.

“No, this is wonderful.” She leapt towards him, flinging her arms around his neck. He chuckled as he stumbled slightly, trying to keep his balance as he returned the hug. “When you said you didn't want dinner, I thought you were just being lazy. I didn't realize you were planning a midnight picnic.”

“That's the best kind of picnic,” he replied. “Come on.”

They both sat down on the blanket. River watched as her husband began pulling food out of the basket, a fond smile on her face. She had loved her baby-faced husband and had always enjoyed all the dates he has taken her on. But they had all been big and extravagant: loud parties or dinner at big restaurants. Quiet dates where it was just the two of them weren't really his style, but she hadn't wanted to go on a quiet date with him.

However, this version of her husband was much calmer and more reserved. With him, she wanted these quiet moments; moments where it was just the two of them with no other distractions. As she watched him work, she realized that she had wanted all their dates to be loud and end in trouble because she had wanted them to be memorable. She had been so afraid that the Doctor would forget about the time they spent together, and that he'd forget about her. But this version of her husband had proved that she had been wrong. He hadn't forgotten her in the thousand years he'd been away from her and he still wanted to be with her. The best part of it was, this version of him knew how to appreciate those small moments and was able to take her on these quiet, meaningful dates she hadn't known she wanted.

“Here you go, dear,” he said, pulling her out of her thoughts.

River realised he was handing her a plate of food. She took it from him before curling up against him. They began eating in silence.

About five minutes later, the fireworks started. Streaks of light shot into the sky from multiple places all through the city. Then they exploded, showering the buildings in colourful sparks. The sound would come a moment later, echoing across the empty desert.

The Doctor slipped an arm around his wife, pulling her closer so he could bury his nose in her curls. She let out a sigh as he pressed a kiss to her head.

“You know, I don't think we've ever spent a New Year’s Eve together,” she murmured. “Lots of birthdays, several Christmases, but never New Year's.”

“Then it's a good thing we've got plenty to look forward to,” he replied.

She turned to look up at him so he leaned down to kiss her. Turning so she was facing him properly, she returned the kiss, running her fingers through his silver hair. She pulled away with a breathless laugh and he grinned. He loved her laugh, but he hadn't heard it very often until now.

“Happy New Year,” he murmured.

“Happy New Year,” she replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all . . .
> 
> THE SERIES 12 TRAILER WAS RELEASED TODAY AND I THINK I'M GONNA DIE!!!!!!!!
> 
> Okay, anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a comment letting me know what you think!


	23. Home

River woke up feeling colder than usual. Rolling over, she stretched an arm across her husband's side of the bed, searching for him. The space was empty and the sheets were cold. Frowning sleepily, she pushed herself up and looked around the room. It was empty. She glanced at the time: 7:32.

She scowled at the clock before letting her head drop back to the pillows. It was still earlier than they usually woke up so she supposed he had just gotten up and would be back shortly, but she was suddenly afraid that he was going back to his old habit of leaving in the mornings because he didn't sleep as much as she did.

Just as she pulled the blankets over her head, she heard the door open and light flooded the room. She pushed the blankets away to glare at her husband.

“Good morning, dear,” he said.

He laughed as she scowled.

“Come back to bed,” she grumbled. “I want to sleep.”

“What? Can't you sleep without me?”

“Of course I can, but you're disturbing me now,” she muttered. “Besides, you're warm.”

He moved towards the bed, leaning down to scoop his shirt off the floor. Propping herself up on an elbow, she watched him sleepily, smiling when she realized he was just wearing his trousers and a pair of socks.

He straightened up and tossed the shirt at her head. She batted it out of the way.

“Come on, River. Let's get some breakfast.”

“It's only 7:30,” she protested.

“I've already made breakfast so if you don't want it to get cold you'd better come now,” he said.

She sat up, tugging her husband's shirt over her head. “Why are we getting up so early?”

“It's not that early. Come on.”

River crawled out of bed and followed the Doctor out of the room. He led her to the kitchen where they had a simple breakfast together.

“You need to go put some clothes on,” he said when they had finished.

“Why?”

“Because we're going outside.”

River frowned. “We usually don't go out until the evening.”

“We've been on Darillium for a few weeks now. I figured we should go looking for a place to live,” he explained.

She raised an eyebrow. “You mean, like a house?”

“A house, a flat, something like that.”

About half an hour later, River was fully dressed and had made her way to the console room in search of her husband. She let out a laugh when she found him.

“Are you wearing a hoodie?” she asked.

He glanced down at his clothes. “Is that a problem?”

She shook her head fondly, making her way over to him. “A coat, a hoodie, a jumper, and . . . a t-shirt? Really?”

“It's comfortable.”

“Do you really need four layers?”

He shrugged. “I like them. Come on. Let's go.”

The next few hours were spent following a young, yellow-skinned alien from house to house, listening as he rambled on and on about each one. The Doctor was listening to him intently, apparently genuinely interested in what he was saying.

River, on the other hand, was finding it rather difficult to focus. She kept catching herself watching her husband, a small frown on her face.

“So, what do you think?” he asked as they followed their guide to another flat.

“Sorry?” she said, looking up at him in surprise.

“You haven't really been saying anything,” he pointed out.

She shrugged noncommittally. He frowned, realizing that something was wrong. Over the last few days, he had noticed that she had spent a lot of time brooding, for lack of a better word, and he figured it was time to find out why.

“Is everything okay?”

“Of course,” she replied quickly.

His grip on her hand tightened. “No. Let me rephrase that. I can see that everything is not okay so I want you to tell me what's wrong.”

“I— I just don't see why we need to buy a house,” she said hesitantly.

“I know we have the Tardis, but even though the Tardis is infinite, it's not exactly somewhere to live when you're spending twenty-four years in one place,” he explained.

River's frown deepened.

“Don't you want a house?”

“I just—” She broke off, taking a moment to collect her thoughts. “Look, we both know you can't stay in one place for more than a few days, let alone twenty-four years. It's impressive that you've lasted this long at all. You're probably going to take off in a month or so and I can't just sit here in a house waiting for you to come back.”

The Doctor stopped in his tracks, pulling her to a halt as well.

“River, is that what you've been worrying about?” he asked. “I'm not good to leave.”

She turned to look at him. “You're forgetting something, Sweetie. I know you better than anyone else in the universe.”

“And yet you didn't recognize me when I was standing right in front of you. Even when I told you who I was, you didn't recognize me.”

She lowered her eyes to the pavement, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks.

“Even if I'm still not very good at staying still, I can do it for you. I'd do anything to spend the rest of forever with you. Unfortunately, twenty-four years is all we can have and I want to spend every moment of it with you.”

“Doctor—”

“To be perfectly honest, I’m afraid that you won't be happy spending so long in one place. I know how much you love adventure and running around time and space causing trouble.”

“Sweetie, I run around time and space in the hopes of running into you. If you're here already, I don't need to look for you. I just— I just don't want you to leave.”

“I'm not going to leave you, River,” he murmured. He took her face in his hand, raising it so she was looking at him. “That's why I want to buy a house. Then we can have somewhere to call home.”

“But the Tardis is home,” she pointed out.

“I know but I'm afraid it would be too tempting. All of time and space at our fingertips might be too much for us. And I'm afraid that if we left it would be all over. I can't have that.”

River smiled up at him and he pulled her into a kiss. They broke apart a moment later at the sound of their guide clearing his throat. They turned to find him shuffling his feet uncomfortably. 

“There's still one more place to look at if you're still interested,” he said.

“Yes, of course,” River said.

The last place was a flat on the fourth floor. The moment they reached it, they knew it would be the place. The front door was painted a bright blue.

“The last people who lived here had the door painted but the landlord can have it painted white again before you move in.”

“I quite like the blue door,” the Doctor said.

“Why don't we take a look inside?”

The inside of the flat was actually rather large. It had a sitting room, a kitchen, a dining room, two bathrooms, and three bedrooms. The dining room had two glass doors opening onto a balcony with a perfect view of the towers.

“River, look,” the Doctor murmured, pointing at the view.

“I know. This place is my favourite so far,” she replied.

“It's a bit more expressive than some of the others.”

“I know but it's not like I can't afford it. I do have a fair amount of money in banks in this century.”

“I assume I wouldn't approve of how you got it,” the Doctor chuckled.

“Only some of it was stolen,” she assured him.

“So we get this flat?”

River nodded. “We get this flat.”

A few weeks later, they had rented the flat and moved in. Since they only needed the one bedroom, they had parked the Tardis in one and decided to turn the other into a library. They had then spent a couple of days putting together bookshelves and filling them up with any books they might want.

River had still been worried about how the Doctor would react to living in a house but it seemed to suit him. They fell into a routine rather quickly. He was always there when she woke up. Then he prepared breakfast as she took a shower. They spent the rest of the day sorting out the house or curled up reading.

As the days passed, the gnawing worry that her husband would leave was gradually forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really have much to say about this chapter.
> 
> I've got one more chapter already written and I'll hopefully start work on the one after that one soon.
> 
> Have a good day, y'all!
> 
> Ugh, I never say y'all. Where did that come from?
> 
> Seriously, though, if you liked this chapter, or even if you didn't, please let me know what you thought of it. I enjoy having feedback.


	24. Always Mine

The Doctor could still hardly believe he had twenty-four years to spend with his wife. He knew it wasn't very much time, but it was more than they had ever had, and he was eager to take any time the universe was willing to offer them.

But what he found even more amazing was that River accepted him as her husband. He was so much older than he had been and had kept the universe at arm's length with his Scottish grumpiness. And yet she had accepted him for who he was without a second thought. She still loved him with the ferocity that had scared him when was younger.

River was currently fast asleep, her fingers linked with his and their hands tucked under her cheek. The Doctor’s gaze swept over her face, studying every line. A content smile graced her lips and he had to fight the urge to kiss her. It was still rather early and he didn't want to risk waking her.

She shifted, rolling over and burying her nose in his chest. She had let go of his hand in favor of resting her palm against his skin. He took the opportunity to slip his arm around her, pulling her closer. A quiet hum issued from her throat and her eyelids fluttered.

“Sweetie?” she mumbled.

“Shh. Go to sleep,” he murmured. “I'm sorry if I woke you.”

She opened her eyes to look at him sleepily. “What time is it?”

“6:50,” he replied.

River hummed. Closing her eyes, she leaned towards him until their noses were touching.

“Kiss me,” she purred.

He obliged, letting his hands run over her smooth skin before tangling in her hair. She nipped at his lower lip and he let out a low growl.

This was one of those moments when he felt a fierce possessiveness towards his wife. Usually, it happened when there were other people around, openly flirting with her. Of course, she couldn't resist flirting back. That's when the possessiveness would kick in and he had to keep himself from killing whoever was currently holding her attention. He hadn't felt that feeling very often when he had been Bowtie, but now he found himself feeling it every few days. In other words, he found himself feeling it every time they went out and had to speak to anyone, even when they weren't flirting with her.

The Doctor's grip on River tightened and she moaned into his mouth. He grinned against her lips before pulling away to press kisses along her jaw.

The Doctor let out a frustrated sigh, nudging the drawer shut with an elbow. He knew he had what he was looking for, he just couldn't remember where he had put it. He tried to think back to the day he had purchased it, but the gaps in his memory told him he hadn't been alone and there was no chance of coming up with more than a vague memory.

Reaching for his coat, he began digging in one of the pockets. His fingers closed around a large, worn object. He pulled it out and glanced at it curiously.

_River's diary_, he realized.

He set the book down on the desk before plunging his hand back into the pocket. He pulled out several things, including a bag of jelly babies, a spoon, and some chalk, before his fingers closed on what he was looking for. He pulled it out triumphantly and grinned at it.

His gaze settled back on the battered diary. Flipping it over, he lifted the back cover to count the blank pages. There were five.

_No wonder she was sad, _he realized. _Five pages together is hardly anything._

“River!”

River looked up to see her husband come into the sitting room, both his hands behind his back.

“What's that?” she demanded.

“What's what?” he asked innocently, leaning over the back of the couch to steal a kiss.

“What are you holding?”

The Doctor offered her a smile before pulling her battered blue diary out from behind his back. She let out a gasp.

“I thought I'd lost this,” she breathed. She took it from him, gently running her fingers over the cover. “How did you get it back?”

“I picked it up before we crashed. I wasn't going to let you lose your diary. I just forgot I had it.”

“Well, thank you,” she said, moving forward to kiss him again. “You've still got something behind you.”

He moved around the couch to sit beside her before handing her a rectangular paper package. She glanced at him curiously before unwrapping it to reveal a green notebook. She riffled through the blank pages as her husband explained.

“I couldn't help but notice that you've only about five pages left. That's nowhere near enough for twenty-four years. I thought it might be nice to have something else for you to write in.”

Something tumbled from the flipping pages, dropping into her lap. Her smile faded, replaced by open-mouthed shock. She picked it up gingerly before looking up at the Doctor.

“A ring?” she stammered.

He nodded. “I figured it was time people knew you were a married woman,” he teased.

“When did you get this?”

“Oh, I've had it for ages. I don't even really remember buying it. All I know is, I saw it and knew it would be the perfect ring for you. I didn't think I'd ever see you again but I suppose I decided to buy it just in case.”

River turned the ring over in her hand, bringing it closer to her face to examine it. It was a thin, gold band with a deep blue sapphire cut in the shape of a rectangle in the center. A triangle of aquamarine sat on either side and three small diamonds were set in the band beside each of them.

“I had actually forgotten I had it. I only remembered last night,” the Doctor went on. “I found it and figured I might as well give it to you. It's okay if you don't want to wear it. I mean, I've never seen you wear a wedding ring before. Besides, I don't even know if it will fit--”

“Sweetie,” she interrupted with a laugh. “I've never worn a wedding ring because you've never given me one. Also, even if you had, I couldn't have worn it in case younger versions of you thought I was married to someone else.”

“I always suspected you were married and I always suspected I was the one you were married to,” the Doctor said. “You weren't exactly subtle about it.”

“Mmm. But it was worth it. The way you would blush . . .”

She grinned at him and he smiled back. Then he frowned.

“So?” he asked nervously.

“Of course I'll wear it,” she murmured, pressing the ring into his hand. “It's beautiful.”

The Doctor looked at the ring before gently taking River's left hand and slipping it on her ring finger. He was glad to find it was nearly a perfect fit. As soon as he let go of her hand, she flung her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. He smiled against her lips before returning it.

“River, just remember that, if you ever decide to call me for one of your crazy adventures again, take the ring off until you're sure I've given it to you,” he murmured.

She frowned. “So you've seen an older version of me? But that's not--”

“I haven't, River, at least not that I remember, but don't let that stop you. This may be our last night together, but you've still got four pages and we're not filling those up here.” He hugged her closer. “And I don't care what the universe says, if I ever get a call from you again, I'll be right there for you.”

He pulled her back into a kiss, slipping his fingers through her hair to keep her close.

“I love you,” she mumbled.

“Hmm.” He pulled away and studied his wife. She looked back at him with sparkling green eyes. Her lips were pulled into a smile and he couldn't resist stealing another kiss.

“Have I ever told you how wonderful you look in a tank top?” he murmured.

She laughed before tackling him to the couch. It was several minutes before he was able to speak again.

“You're my wife, River,” he said. “Don't forget that.”

She let out a soft laugh. “I wouldn't have it any other way.”

**Here's the ring I based the description on:**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy this chapter. If you did, please let me know what you thought. I love reading your comments.
> 
> Please send any suggestions for future chapters if there's something specific you want to see.


	25. Breaking Rule One

“Did you mean it?”

The Doctor looked up from his book and glanced at his wife curiously. The insecurity in her voice had startled him and he was surprised to find her curled up tightly in the corner of the couch, her shoulders hunched defensively.

“Mean what?”

“What you said. On the ship.”

He tucked a bookmark in his book and set it to the side, his eyes never leaving his wife.

“I said a lot of things.”

“I mean when we were crashing,” she clarified. “You were trying to get me to go back to the Tardis and you said-- You said . . .” She trailed off, obviously uncomfortable with the conversation she was trying to start.

“I said that not one living thing on the ship was worth was worth you.”

She nodded hesitantly. “Yeah,” she mumbled.

“Why do you think I wouldn't have meant it?”

River frowned. “I don't-- I don't know. I just--” She hugged herself, running a hand up and down her arm as if trying to warm herself up. She was gnawing on her lower lip, and the Doctor had to bite back a smile. He had always hated the fact that she felt she needed to ‘hide the damage’ from him and was glad to see her so vulnerable.

“Of course I meant it,” he told her.

She let out a breath and her frown deepened.

“I suppose that makes sense,” she said slowly. “Everyone who died in that crash was a murderer. Not that I'm much better. I'm sure I've killed just as much, if not more, than half the people on that ship.”

The Doctor let out a sigh. He got out of his chair and joined River on the couch. She hung back, hugging her legs tighter.

“River, that's not why I said it. It wouldn't have mattered who was on the ship, I still would have said it.”

She looked at him doubtfully.

“Sweetie, you don't--”

“River,” he groaned. “Why don't you believe me?”

“Because I know you,” she mumbled.

He frowned. “Ah.”

He reached for her hand, gently running his fingers over her knuckles.

“Why don't we break a rule?” he suggested. “Let's break Rule One.”

River looked up at him, raising an eyebrow.

“In fact, let's change Rule One. As long as we're living on Darillium, Rule One is to be honest with each other. I know it's going to be hard but I don't want to lie to you if I can help it. Does that sound like a plan?”

He watched her hesitate before nodding slowly.

“And if you ever think I am lying to you, you can always remind me I promised to be honest. I won't be offended that you don't trust me because I know I wasn't always honest with you before,” he promised.

He waited for her to reply. A few moments later, she let go of her legs and crawled into his lap. He held her close, running a hand over her curls.

“The answer is, yes, I meant it, and I'd always mean it, no matter who else was on the ship,” he said.

“I love you,” River mumbled.

“And that's another thing. I know I've never said it before, but that's only because I was so scared of having someone I'd inevitably lose again. Also, I assumed you knew. You always know everything and I thought you knew this as well.”

“I think I knew most of the time,” she admitted. “But sometimes it was hard.”

“I'm sorry.” He hugged her tighter. “I should never have let you have a reason to doubt me.”

River wriggled out of his grasp so she could turn and kiss him deeply. He pulled away a moment later.

“River, I love you, okay?” he said. “Bowtie loved you too, even if I didn't do a good job of showing it.”

“You did a perfectly fine job of showing it,” she murmured, brushing their noses together. “I just wasn't very good at seeing it.”

Their lips met once more and it was some time before either of them moved away.

“How did I end up with such a wonderful wife?” the Doctor said when River pulled away to bury her face in his shoulder.

She laughed breathlessly. “Oh, shut up.”

“No.” He caught her face in his hand and raised it so he could look her in the eye. “I want to make sure you know how important you are to me.”

“I do,” she said before hesitating. “But why didn't you come find me? You last saw me a thousand years ago and you weren't expecting to see me on Mendorax Dellora. You were surprised.”

“I thought my time with you was over. I was afraid of rewriting our timeline. The time we got to spend together was far too precious to risk erasing,” he said. “And I wasn't sure if you would love this version of me.”

She raised an eyebrow. “This version? Sweetie, I love you, not your face.” She smirked. “Well--”

“River,” he laughed before she could go on. “You know very well that it's not just the face that changes. I got a new personality and I didn't know if you'd like it. I was old and grumpy.”

“Hmm. I prefer mature, and I haven't found you particularly grumpy. Maybe you've just been missing me,” River teased.

“Maybe that's it.”

“While I loved your baby face, I'm glad you finally look older than me. Then I don't have to explain that you're really so much older than me and I didn't marry someone half my age.”

He chuckled. “You're not exactly young yourself.”

“Watch it, mister,” she warned, narrowing her eyes at him.

“I mean by human standards. You look as beautiful as you always did.”

“I'm getting older,” she sighed. “I may have a longer lifespan than a human but I'm still not a Time Lord. My bodies don't live quite as long as yours and this is my last one. It wasn't exactly young when I got it and it's just gotten older.”

The Doctor gently brushed a thumb over the lines beside her eyes.

“Well, I haven't noticed.”

She laughed. “I know. I'm still thinking I should gradually make myself younger.”

“Why?”

“Well, people are going to notice that we don't age. But it might be even funnier if they begin to notice I'm ageing backwards,” she explained.

“You're insane,” he scoffed.

She brought her face close to his again and his grip on her waist tightened.

“That's why you love me,” she purred.

He hummed, deciding to forgo a response in favour of pressing a kiss to her lips.

“I hope you know I was lying when I said the man who gave me my diary wasn't anything special,” River murmured.

“I didn't at the time, but I certainly hoped so.”

“And I don't think you're awful.”

The Doctor chuckled. “Now that's something I'm not sure I believe.”

“Hmm. At least, not all the time.”

“But most of the time.”

She laughed and snuggled closer to him. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

“I only said that because I wanted to protect you. I didn't know I was actually talking to you.”

“Protect me how?”

“You saw how they tried to use me to get to you,” she said. “I try not to let people I meet know how much you mean to me.”

“Have people tried to get to me through you before?” he asked.

“A few times. I never let them get away with it.”

He laughed and began pressing kisses to her back. She let out an annoyed groan.

“I told you I wanted to sleep tonight,” she grumbled.

“I know, and you will, but I haven't gotten my goodnight kiss.”

Sighing dramatically, she rolled onto her back and let him kiss her gently. She let her hand settle at the base of his neck, holding him close for a few seconds.

“Now let me sleep,” she murmured when he pulled away.

“Of course,” he replied. He pressed a kiss to her forehead before pulling her closer to himself. “Goodnight, River.”

“Goodnight, darling,” she mumbled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you think!
> 
> Okay, so I've got a couple of ideas for other _Doctor Who_ books. I wanna know what you think.
> 
> The first is simple. It's called "The Diary of River Song" and is basically her life from her point of view. It would include stuff from her childhood when she was Melody and Mels and then would go on to her time in university and with the Doctor. Bits of it would be stuff she wrote in her diary and I'd write her episodes from her point of view.
> 
> The second one is an AU. I didn't start watching _Doctor Who_ until this year but I've seen that there were a lot of theories about Bill Potts before Series 10 came out and people were saying that she could be the Doctor and River's daughter. Obviously, we know she's not, but I still love that theory. The book would basically be a rewrite of Series 10, plus a little extra, where Bill is actually the Doctor's daughter who's been made human and is living on earth for some reason or other.
> 
> So, what do you think? Would you be interested in reading either or both of those? I'm probably going to end up writing both since I love both ideas so much, but it'd be a lot of work, and it'd be nice to know which one people would be more interested in reading.
> 
> Thanks for reading! I really appreciate it!


	26. Not Bad for Two Hundred

River woke to find herself alone in the bed. Despite the fact that they had been living on Darillium for several months now, it was still rare for her not to wake up in the Doctor's arms. However, the few times she had, he usually came back a few moments later, kissing her gently and telling her to go back to sleep, something she rarely did.

Pulling the blankets closer, she tried to go back to sleep. Though she would never admit it, it was getting harder to fall asleep without her husband beside her. As she rolled over to find a more comfortable position, she heard the door open and her husband entered the room. She didn't raise her head, even when she heard him set something on the bedside table and felt the bed shift under his weight.

A moment later, the Doctor was hovering over her. He pulled a few of her curls out of her face.

“I know you're awake,” he murmured.

She opened her eyes and turned her head so she found herself face to face with her husband. She offered him a sleepy smile.

“Where’ve you been?” she mumbled.

“Making you breakfast.”

“It's too early,” she protested. “I don't want to get up.”

“Mmm. Luckily you don't have to. I've brought your breakfast to you today.”

River rolled onto her back so she could look at him more easily. She raised her eyebrows.

“What have I done to deserve breakfast in bed?”

The Doctor chuckled. “Quite frankly, the fact that you're my wife is enough, but you really haven't been keeping track of the date, have you?”

She frowned, trying to remember what date it was. She shook her head a moment later. Her husband laughed again, leaning down to kiss her.

“Happy Birthday, dear,” he said before their lips met.

“Is it my birthday?” she asked when he pulled away.

“Mhmm. Unless I don't know when your birthday is.”

“You never have been very good with dates,” she teased.

He laughed. “Well, I'm fairly sure about this one.”

He kissed her again before pushing himself upright so he could grab the tray he had set on the bedside table. She sat up and accepted it, leaning forward to steal another kiss.

“You know, as much as I appreciate this, I can think of better ways to spend the morning of my birthday,” she smirked.

“Mmm. Finish your breakfast and maybe we can get to that.”

She smiled and kissed him again before turning to her food.

“You know, this is the first time I get to spend my whole birthday with you,” River observed. “You used to show up in the evening to take me on extravagant dates, but I've never got to spend the morning like this.”

“We've spent plenty of mornings like this,” the Doctor pointed out.

“Yes, but never on my birthday.”

He chuckled, pushing a few curls out of her face as she pressed kisses to his chest.

“Didn't you like my dates?” he teased.

She hit him gently. “Of course I did. They were wonderful, but so is this.”

He opened his mouth to respond, but she quickly covered it with her own.

“River,” he mumbled.

She hummed, still kissing him.

“What do you want to do today?”

She pulled away to look down at him, laughing softly.

“You really should learn to stop asking me that.”

He chuckled. “Probably.”

For the next few minutes, the only sound in the room was their quiet breathing. River had her ear pressed to the Doctor's chest and was listening to the thud of his hearts.

“I'd quite like to take a walk,” she murmured presently.

“We take a walk every day.”

“Through the city,” she pointed out. “We keep saying we're going to go take a look at that park that's nearby, but we never do.”

“We could go there,” he agreed, running a hand over her hair and caressing her cheek.

River smiled up at him before pressing a lazy kiss to the closest part of him which happened to be his hand. He laughed and pulled her closer so he could kiss her.

It was a few hours before they made it out of the house. They walked the short distance to the park. When they reached it, River let out a soft gasp.

During the hours deemed “daytime”, the streets of the city were lit by enough lights to make it nearly as bright as day. During the nighttime, most of the lights were switched off so that the stars could still be seen. However, the park was already dark, even though it was almost noon.

The sidewalks and pathways were lined by dim lanterns and the trees were filled with hundreds of tiny lights, making them look like patches of starry sky.

“It’s beautiful,” River breathed.

“It is,” the Doctor agreed.

They entered the park and began walking hand in hand along the paths. Since it was a Saturday, there were several families having picnics in the grass. Children were chasing each other around the trees as their parents watched, talking together in quiet voices. The most noise in the park came from the laughing children, but it was still quiet enough not to disturb the peace that seemed to cling to that place.

River and the Doctor settled in the grass beneath a tree. They lay with their heads together and their hands entwined between them.

“We should come here more often,” she breathed.

“I'm sure we will.”

She pulled his hand up to her lips, pressing a kiss to his knuckles.

“So how old are you now, River?”

“That's a bit personal,” she teased.

He snorted. “You've never been concerned with hiding your _personal_ details with me, or with anyone else for that matter.”

She laughed before letting out a contented sigh. “It's a bit hard to keep track.”

“You said two hundred on the ship.”

“Well, I was just rounding.”

The Doctor glanced at her. She had a small frown on her face and he suspected she was counting.

“I think I'm about two hundred and forty-seven,” she finally said. “But I can't be certain.”

“That's fine,” he replied. “I don't know how old I am either. I know I'm well over two thousand years old, but I've lost track of the exact number.”

“I just feel like I should be able to know my exact age because it's only two hundred and something, but so much of my early childhood is a blur.”

“Understandable,” the Doctor said. “You did spend plenty of that time around creatures you can't even remember.”

River rolled onto her side, letting go of her husband's hand to prop herself up on her elbow.

“Yes?” he asked when she didn't say anything.

“What?”

“Weren't you going to say something?”

“No,” she replied, shaking her head. The angle it was at meant that several of her curls toppled into her face.

Rolling on his side, the Doctor reached up to brush them away. River caught his hand on the way down and began kissing his knuckles. She gently nuzzled his wrist with her cheek, pressing small kisses to the soft skin on the inside of his wrist.

“I was just looking at you,” she admitted presently.

“Why?”

“Because I like looking at you,” she said. She offered him an innocent smile, offset by the sparkle in her eyes. “This face is very handsome.”

“River,” he groaned.

“You've certainly aged well.”

“Not as well as you, my dear,” he murmured.

She let go of his hand and practically jumped on him, her lips quickly finding his. They kissed for a moment before the Doctor pushed her off of him. He sat upright and pulled her back to him. He kissed her again, holding her close.

“Happy birthday, River,” he murmured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you liked this chapter. Please let me know what you think!
> 
> I'm in my last week of school for this semester, this year, and this decade. Wow! Anyway, I had my maths exam today and I've got both English and Literature tomorrow. Yay! [insert sarcasm here]
> 
> Anyway, if you haven't, please go check out my AU, "Child of the Doctor". It's basically a rewrite of Series 10 but will Bill as the Doctor and River's daughter. There are already two chapters up. I really like it so far!


	27. Stupid Clothes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a little while but now I'm updating this. I love this chapter.

“You're not really going to wear that hoodie, are you?” River demanded.

“Why?” the Doctor asked, looking down at the item of clothing in question. “Is something wrong with it?”

“It doesn't go with your jacket,” she protested. “You wear all these lovely velvet jackets, but you've got this black hood hanging out from the back of it.”

“I still don't see a problem.”

“Oh, you idiot,” she said fondly. Then she frowned. “I mean, the t-shirt is bad enough, even the sweater is questionable, but the hoodie . . .”

“Why do you always have something against my clothes?”

“Because you always dress like an idiot.”

“I'll admit that, in the past, I've made some questionable choices: that scarf, the stick of celery, the fez, and that bowtie . . .” He stopped when he saw her frown. “You liked the bowtie?”

She looked embarrassed but she quickly covered it up with a smirk. “Oh, I just found it very useful. A strip of cloth that you always had on? Very good for tying you up.”

The Doctor frowned, though there was amusement in his eyes.

“Anyway, when I first saw this version of you, I was impressed. You were finally wearing something sensible, even if you claimed it was a suit.”

“No, when you first saw me, you didn't know who I was and wouldn't let me tell you.”

River flushed and the Doctor grinned. It was still difficult to get her to blush but it happened more often than it had when he had been Bowtie.

“Shut up,” she mumbled.

“Not a chance.”

“Please tell me you're going to wear something sensible tonight,” River said when the Doctor entered the room.

He blinked at her in surprise. “What?”

“We're going somewhere nice to eat tonight, correct?” she asked, setting her book on a nearby table.

“Well, yes.”

“Then I hope you're not going to be wearing that t-shirt and hoodie,” she said.

“I wasn't intending to,” he protested. “But it's getting awfully hard to find any of my other shirts.”

River raised her eyebrows. “Is it?”

He smirked at her. “Yes, but I've just found one.”

Before she knew what he meant, he had pinned her to the couch and kissed her. His fingers were quickly undoing the buttons on the shirt she was wearing.

“How do you expect me to wear these shirts when you keep stealing them?” he demanded.

“It's not like I'm taking them out of the house,” she pointed out, but he kissed her again and their argument was momentarily forgotten.

River shivered as cool air brushed against her arms. Taking a few steps backwards, she quickly spotted the source of the draught. She pulled the window shut before continuing on to the laundry room. She had agreed to get the clothes out of the dryer and put them away as the Doctor prepared their dinner.

Once she had pulled the clothes out of the dryer, she tugged on the first thing she found, zipping it up so she was engulfed by the warm fabric. Then she carried the rest of the clothes to their bedroom where she folded them and put them away.

“River, dinner’s ready,” the Doctor called.

“Coming!” she replied.

She quickly tucked his trousers in his drawer before making her way to the kitchen. He looked up when she entered and raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. She slipped into her chair and they began eating in silence.

“I thought you didn't approve of my dress sense,” the Doctor said presently, raising an eyebrow at her.

River glanced down at what she was wearing and blushed. Then she shrugged.

“I-- I was cold,” she said, trying to sound nonchalant. “It was the first thing I found.”

“Hmm.”

She reached for the zipper but he shook his head.

“You don't have to take it off.”

After a moment's hesitation, she unzipped the hoodie and tugged it off, tossing over the back of a nearby chair.

River ran her hand over the bed, searching for a shirt among the layers of fabric currently tangled around her and her sleeping husband. She had been wearing one of his white shirts, and it blended in with the sheets, especially in the dark.

The Doctor’s arms were around her waist, so she eased herself out of his grasp and reached for the one thing she could see: the dark hoodie at the end of the bed. She tugged it on before climbing out of bed and making her way to the bathroom. When she returned, she slipped back under the covers and snuggled up to her husband without bothering to remove the hoodie.

When she woke up again, she was alone. She could hear the faint noises coming from the kitchen, so she climbed out of bed and made her way out of the room. The Doctor grinned at her when she entered the kitchen.

“It’s not enough for you to just steal my shirts now?” he teased.

She shoved her hands into the hoodie’s pockets and dropped into a chair. Narrowing her eyes at him, she muttered, “Well, I’m not taking it off.”

The Doctor couldn’t help but laugh. His wife was sitting at the kitchen table in nothing but her knickers and the hoodie she had insulted time and again. She was glaring at him, but he could see she was still half asleep. Her cheek was still creased from the pillow and her wild curls stuck out in every direction, framing her face like a lion’s mane. He wasn’t sure if she looked scary or adorable.

Her scowl deepened.

“What?” she demanded.

“Nothing, dear,” he chuckled. He set a plate of food on the table and leaned towards his wife to steal a kiss.

She eyed him suspiciously but didn’t say anything.

“You look lovely,” he said.

She rolled her eyes and began spooning food onto her plate, but a faint blush had appeared on her cheeks. He watched her for a moment before serving himself some breakfast.

“River, we’re going out,” the Doctor called, leaning into the library where his wife was curled up, reading a book. “You need to put some proper clothes on and I’m going to need my hoodie.”

He laughed as he heard her grumble in response. Then he made his way to the front room. She appeared a few minutes later and tossed his hoodie at his head. He caught it and pulled it on.

“I wish you wouldn’t wear it,” she muttered.

“You do realize you really can’t complain since you’ve been stealing it nearly every day for the last week,” he pointed out.

“I don't wear it out of the house,” she argued.

“You complain when I wear it inside the house!”

River smirked. “Too many layers.”

The Doctor huffed indignantly. “No, you've lost the right to complain about my clothes since you're so intent on wearing them.”

She sidled up to him and slung her arms around his neck.

“I'm always going to complain about your clothes,” she told him.

He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

“Well, it was worth a shot,” he chuckled. He kissed her gently before adding, “Come on, dear. We have places to be.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, good news, I've still got one more completed chapter after this one. Bad news is, that means I'm catching up. Hopefully I'll be able to keep ahead of myself. Anyway, I loved this chapter and I hope you did too. Please let me know what you thought. I love comments.
> 
> Also, any ideas for stories you want to see on Darillium are more than welcome. I may not write all of them, and I may already be going to write some of them, but I absolutely love Twelve and River's relationship and I'd love to keep writing them as long as I can.


	28. Sleepy Mornings

Being completely Time Lord, the Doctor didn't need quite as much sleep as River did. She knew this, so she had always understood why he left long before she woke up. It had been a pleasant surprise to wake up to his kisses on their first morning on Darillium, and nearly every morning since. Even when he hadn't been there when she woke up, he returned a few minutes later, slipping back under the blankets and apologizing for not being there. River wasn't sure how much of the night he actually spent asleep, but the thought that he lay awake and didn't leave made her feel special.

One morning, she woke up and rolled over in his arms, expecting to find him watching her. She was surprised to find him fast asleep, his one arm around her waist and his face peaceful. As she smiled at him, his grip tightened and he buried his face in her shoulder, mumbling something in his sleep.

She pressed a kiss to his cheek and he stirred, but he didn't wake up. Smiling sleepily, she snuggled closer to him and tried to go back to sleep, but she ended up lying there, watching him sleep. She didn't think she'd ever been able to do this before. He had always been awake before her.

River ran her hand over his hair. The silver strands were soft between her fingers. She had been nagging him to cut it since it was considerably longer than it had been when she had first seen it, but she was beginning to like it. Not that she'd admit it to him.

She traced a finger along his jaw and he shifted. His eyes fluttered open. He raised his head to peer at her sleepily.

“Good morning,” she murmured.

He hummed, pulling her closer to kiss her lazily.

“What time is it?” he asked when he pulled away.

River pushed herself up so she could see the clock on his bedside table.

“Almost eight,” she replied, dropping back to the bed.

“Eight?” he exclaimed. Then he laughed. “What have you done to me, River? You're turning me into a human.”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“I'm a Time Lord. I only need two hours of sleep and I'm good for several weeks. Now I'm sleeping all night and I'm ready to go to sleep the next night.”

“Did you really sleep all night?”

“Mmm-hmm.”

He pulled her closer again and pressed his lips to hers. She returned the kiss sleepily. Then she began planting kisses along his jaw and down his neck. Her fingers found his shirt buttons and she slowly undid them, one by one.

He combed his fingers through her hair as she pressed kisses to his chest. She smiled up at him before moving to find his lips with her own again.

“You're wearing my hoodie again.”

“You took the shirt.”

“Only because you already had the hoodie,” he reminded her.

She shut him up with a kiss.

The next time River woke up before her husband, she watched him for a few minutes before deciding to wake him up. Shifting closer to him, she pressed her lips against his. He responded to the kiss a moment later and she smiled against his mouth.

“Good morning,” he mumbled when she pulled away.

“Morning.”

“What a lovely thing to wake up to.” His eyes opened and he blinked at her sleepily. “I love you.”

“Mmm.” Leaning forward, she kissed him again. He responded slowly, pulling her closer. “I love you too.”

They kissed lazily for several minutes, content not to do anything. Presently, the Doctor nuzzled his nose against her neck, pressing gentle kisses to her skin.

“Have I told you that you're the most beautiful woman I've ever met?” he mumbled against her skin.

“Hmm. Not recently.”

“Well, you are.”

She blushed faintly. “You're over two thousand. I doubt that's true.”

“Yes it is. You're gorgeous.”

She smirked playfully, running her hands over the fabric of his shirt. “I know that,” she teased. “I quite like this face. I'm glad it's the one I got stuck with. Although, I'm still not sure about the nose.”

“Why not?”

She made a face, wrinkling said nose in the way he always found adorable. “It's kinda big.”

He laughed. “So’s mine.”

“And it's got a bump in it.”

He leaned forward and kissed the bump. “I don't see anything wrong with it.”

She glanced at him curiously.

“What?”

“I'm fairly certain someone said something like that to me before. Ages ago. It was just after I regenerated; after you dropped me off in the hospital. There was a young woman. She happened to be passing by as I was taking a good look at my face.” River chuckled softly. “She must have thought I was mad. Anyway, I complained about my nose and she said she thought it looked fine.”

“Well, she was right,” he said. “Your nose is perfectly fine.” He kissed it again. “I love your nose.”

She grinned. “You idiot.”

“Your idiot,” he corrected.

She rolled her eyes and he pulled her into a kiss.

River watched her husband as he slept. His arm was draped over her waist almost protectively. His face was relaxed and his expression peaceful. It was times like this when she wondered how he could ever manage to look so cross. His nose was tucked against her arm and a small, content smile graced his lips.

Part of her wanted to wake him up so she could feel those lips against her skin, but she knew they didn't have anywhere to be, so she pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead and let him sleep. His grip on her tightened and for a moment she thought she had woken him, but he just settled into a more comfortable position and buried his nose into her shoulder.

Nearly an hour later, the Doctor shifted again and River felt him press a kiss to her bare arm. She turned to look at him and he smiled up at her sleepily. She opened her mouth to say something but he quickly moved to cover it with his own.

“You were awake?” he mumbled.

“Mmm,” she replied. “I was going to wake you, but I've been watching you sleep.”

He raised an eyebrow before pressing kisses along her shoulder. His fingers toyed with the edge of her tank top. She rolled on top of him, pressing her palms against his bare chest. Their lips met in a lazy kiss.

A moment later, River found herself on her back with her husband hovering over her. His lips were still ghosting over hers, travelling along her jaw to settle below her left ear.

“River,” he murmured. “There's something I need to tell you.”

“Those words aren't usually followed by something good,” she mumbled. “Can't it wait until we're done here?”

“No. It's nothing bad,” he assured her, pressing another kiss below her ear. “I just wasn't sure when to tell you so I decided I would the next time you woke up before I did.”

“Go on then,” she said, though her words dissolved into a moan as he gently bit down on her earlobe.

The Doctor didn't say anything for a minute. He continued pressing kisses to and around her ear. Then he let out a shaky breath and whispered something in her ear.

River let out a soft gasp.

“Is that--”

“Yes,” he breathed, pressing his lips to hers.

She pushed him away so she could see his eyes. The love in them was overwhelming, but there was also a certain amount of uneasiness.

“But why would you tell me?” she asked.

“Because you're my wife.”

“You never wanted to tell me before. I used to ask you all the time and you never wanted to tell me.”

He bowed his head to kiss her.

“Because I'm a selfish old man. I knew I would end up telling you, and every time you asked I wanted to so desperately, but I wanted more time with you and I thought that if I didn't tell you, it would mean I'd still get to see you again.” He kissed her again. “But now we've got plenty of time together. I can finally tell you.”

River felt tears spilling down her cheeks. The Doctor's hand was there a moment later, wiping them away. She pulled him down to kiss him, repeating what he had whispered. She felt his lips pull into a smile.

“It's beautiful,” she whispered when he pulled away.

“It's dangerous,” he muttered.

She smirked up at him. “All the best things are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I wasn't planning for the Doctor to tell River his name in this story but it ended up happening anyway. I think it works though.
> 
> If you liked this, please consider leaving a comment. Comments always make my day! 
> 
> And even if you don't, I still hope you enjoyed the chapter. Have a good day!


	29. Professor and Doctor Song

The Doctor could hardly believe they had been living on Darillium for nearly six months. It felt like time was flying and he wished it would slow down. He had to keep reminding himself not to count the days.

He was very glad to have so much time that wasn't being interrupted by something trying to kill them. He loved being able to spend so much time with her. Even when they weren't together, it was wonderful to know she was in the other room, only a few steps away.

However, he wasn't sure if River was quite so content. He was beginning to suspect she was getting restless. On several occasions, he had caught her staring through the pages of whatever archaeology book she was reading. Her gaze was fixed and there was a hint of fear in her eyes.

After the seventh time, he decided to ask her about it. He was busy washing the dishes but when he was done he dried his hands and set out in search of his wife. It wasn't hard to find her. She was in the library, her head bent over a book and a pen in her hand. She was busy crossing out large portions of text. Her hair was tied back making it possible for the Doctor to see the side of her face.

He approached her quietly, leaning over the back of the couch to peer over her shoulder at the book. Most of the page was already covered in neat, blue lines and the margins were full of her cramped notes. When she lifted her pen, he pressed a kiss to her cheek. She jumped.

“You startled me,” she said, turning so she could press a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

“What are you going?” he asked.

She shrugged. “Correcting this book.”

“Hmm. You've drawn a lot of lines.”

“They've made a lot of mistakes.”

The Doctor chuckled, glancing at a few of the lines she had crossed out. Sure enough, they were full of inaccuracies. River's notes were more accurate, although there was still a mistake.

“That should be 94, not 93,” he said, pointing to a date she had written.

She gave a small frown. “But-- Oh, yeah. That's right.” She crossed it out neatly and wrote the correct date in its place. “Thanks.”

“I need to talk to you about something,” he said.

She smiled and patted the spot next to her. He moved around to sit beside her and she snuggled into his side. Then she went back to crossing out the text in her book.

“Are you happy here, River?” he asked presently.

She glanced at him briefly before turning back to her work. “Of course. Why wouldn't I be?”

“We agreed not to lie to each other,” he reminded her.

Now she looked at him properly. “I'm not lying. I'm very happy here with you,” she replied. She set down her pen and rested her hand on his chest, feeling the thud of his two hearts. “Why do you think I'm not happy?”

“You seem restless.”

River shrugged. “I was beginning to run out of things to occupy myself with, but now I've found something to do.” She gestured at the book.

“But don't you miss your proper home?”

“This is my proper home,” she purred, leaning close enough to her husband that their noses brushed against each other. “Sometimes I do miss my job and my students, but having you is infinitely better.”

“So you do miss teaching?”

“Yes, of course, but I'm not about to leave my _husband_ because I miss my _job._” She closed the distance between them for a brief kiss.

When she pulled away, she turned back to her book. The Doctor slipped his arms around her and rested his head on her shoulder so he could watch her work.

“You know, there is a university nearby,” he said presently. “Maybe you could get a job there.”

She shrugged. “It's a small university and this is Darillium. I doubt they've got an archaeology department, Sweetie.”

“River, you know enough about every subject to teach anything you like,” he laughed. “Besides, I'm sure you could teach history. That's practically the same thing as archaeology.”

“It is not,” she huffed.

“You're right. History is a wonderful subject where you get to study the past through the use of books written by people who read books written by other people who read books written by people who weren't there. It's like that children's game. There are plenty of mistakes but at least you're learning something. Archaeology, on the other hand, is just an excuse to do something generally considered illegal. You dig up people's graves, take everything they owned, and then come up with your own conclusions on how they lived based on the broken things you've found.”

River laughed. “I do not do that.”

“No, you dig up ruins, then you go back in time to find out how the building ended up in ruins, and then you end up blowing up the building and creating the ruins.”

“Not intentionally.”

The Doctor chuckled and pressed a kiss to her neck. “So, what do you think?”

“We can always check it out.”

River tightened her grip on her husband's hand as they followed their guide through the university. She had told him he didn't need to come, but he had insisted, and she was always happy for the excuse to spend more time with him.

“You expressed interest in finding a position here,” their guide said. He was a tall man in his late fifties. His hair was mostly grey, though a few stands were still dark. “What do you teach?”

“That rather depends on what positions may be available.” She smiled at him. Her smile widened when she felt her husband's fingers tighten around her own.

“Ah, well-- We are currently looking to hire another English teacher and another Physics teacher. Also, one of our History teachers is retiring at the end of the term. What is it you teach?”

“I'm an archaeologist. Usually, I teach archaeology.”

“I'm afraid we don't have an archaeology department,” the man apologized.

River smiled sweetly. “I know. I didn't think you did.”

“Well, if you're an archaeologist, you should be able to teach History.”

“She has spent the last few days correcting history books,” the Doctor laughed.

“And what do you teach, sir?”

“Oh, I'm not a teacher.”

“So, are you a doctor of medicine?”

“Ah, well, not exactly.”

“Then what are you a doctor of?” the man asked.

“I'm not a doctor, I'm the Doctor. I'm sort of the Doctor of everything.”

“But you don't teach?”

“No. I don't teach.”

“You could, you know.”

The Doctor looked up from his book. “Could what?”

“Teach,” River said. “They want a Physics teacher. You could teach Physics. You've done it before.”

“Over a thousand years ago,” he protested. “And I was a different man. I was better with people then.”

“I don't think that's true.”

“What? That I'm a different man? Or that I'm bad with people?”

“Both. You're still the same man I married. You always will be.”

The Doctor scoffed, though he was smiling at her fondly. “I forgot who I was talking to. You'd love me if I were a Dalek.”

River frowned. “Well, maybe not a Dalek since I love you for you and there can't be a Dalek like you. Besides, I'm very glad you're not a Dalek. It means you can love me back.”

“But you thought I couldn't love you.”

She ducked her head before looking up to smile at him. “Well, for once, I'm very glad I was wrong.”

“You were very wrong.”

“Yes. Anyway, I don't think you're particularly bad with people. At least, you don't seem too bad with young people. Adults, maybe, but university age? I think you could teach them,” River said. “I think you'd do an excellent job of teaching them.”

The Doctor snorted in disbelief.

“Doctor, I'm serious.”

“When's your interview?”

“Two days,” she replied. “I could arrange for an interview for you too.”

“Hmm. I'll think about it.”

“Why did you tell them my name is Doctor Song?” the Doctor demanded. He was seated at the table, glaring up at her as she put sugar in her tea.

“Sweetie, I keep telling you I didn't. I said you were the Doctor. They assumed you were Doctor Song since you're my husband and my name is Song.”

“Well, you didn't bother correcting then,” he huffed.

“I tried. They didn't listen. Besides, they didn't have another name for you.”

“My name is the Doctor.”

“Doctor's not a name, Sweetie,” River laughed, pressing a kiss to his head as she passed him on her way to the library. She heard his chair legs scrape across the floor behind her.

“So now the whole university is going to think my name is Doctor Song?”

“What? You don't like my name?”

“Of course I like your name but it's not mine. Besides, the woman takes the man's name, don't they?”

“Says the man who insisted on calling my father ‘Rory Pond’,” she laughed. “Anyway, you don't have a name for me to take.”

The Doctor huffed and grabbed a book off the shelf at random. Then he dropped onto the sofa, flipped it open, and proceeded to glare at the page. Ignoring him, River curled up in her chair. She set her mug on a small table and picked up her book and her pen.

She began marking out text and making notes in the margins, but as the minutes dragged on and her husband didn't move, it got more and more difficult to focus. Eventually, she let out a sigh, dropping her pen in her book and closing it.

“How long are you going to sit there . . . sulking?” she demanded.

“I'm not sulking,” he grumbled.

“You're sitting there staring at a book.”

“I'm reading.”

River fought back a fond smile. She could hardly believe how big an idiot her husband could be. “You haven't turned the page in nearly ten minutes.”

The Doctor blinked, looking slightly embarrassed.

“Come on, Sweetie. It's not a big deal.”

“Maybe not to you. I bet you're loving this.”

River set her book by her tea and got to her feet. She moved to sit by her husband, slipping her arms around him and resting her chin on his shoulder. He still didn't move.

“No one's going to call you Doctor Song. That's just the name they have for you in the records. You'll introduce yourself as the Doctor and that's what people will call you.”

The Doctor slowly lowered his book. River turned to rest her head against his shoulder. He leaned his head against hers and sighed softly.

“I'm sorry.”

“What for?”

“I was being rude.”

“No, you're fine,” she assured him.

“You really still think I can teach humans?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said, tightening her grip on him.

He set his book in his lap and rested a hand on her arm, only slightly returning her hug.

“Sometimes I think you have too much faith in me,” he murmured.

“I often think you don't have enough faith in yourself,” she replied.

He smiled into her hair, pressing a gentle kiss to her head.

“Thank you, dear.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last of my prewritten stories. I have another one half-written but I've decided to put a different chapter before that one so I'll have to write it first.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this. Please leave a comment letting me know what you think!
> 
> Have a good day (or night or whatever time it is)!


	30. You'll Still Be Gone

Some days were worse than others. Most days, the Doctor could ignore the gaps in his memory. He could still remember most of the things he had done during the last thousand years, even if he couldn't remember the details or anything _she_ had done. However, every now and then there was a day when the Doctor's mind would fixate on the gaps, trying to piece together an image of his missing companion.

His fingers danced across his guitar strings. Closing his eyes, he tried to focus on the sound of the sad, haunting music. He wasn't sure why, but that particular melody helped bring the clearest image of her to his mind, though the image was always incomplete.

“That's a beautiful song.”

The Doctor looked up. Turning, he saw River leaning against the rail at the top of the stairs.

“I couldn't find you in the house. I assumed that meant you were hiding in here.”

“It's comforting.”

She nodded. “I know what you mean.”

He started to get to his feet but she motioned for him to stay put. Then she came down the stairs, taking a seat behind him on the step above him. Her knees pressed against his sides and her arms rested over his shoulders. They crossed in front of his neck, though they were loose enough not to choke him. She pressed her cheek against the top of his head, burying her nose in his grey hair as he resumed playing.

They sat together in silence for several minutes. The only sounds were the hum of the TARDIS mixed with the soft music from his guitar. They blended together perfectly. River was left feeling peaceful and a little sad.

“It's called ‘Clara’,” the Doctor murmured. “It's the only thing I'm certain about. I don't really remember anything else about her.

“She was my companion . . . my best friend. I think I met her over a thousand years ago, but I don't remember how or when. I'm fairly certain she was from the 21st century, but I feel like I met her in the future. . . . Or was it the past?”

He paused, but River decided not to say anything. She could tell this was hurting him and hoped he would continue, but she didn't want to push him.

“I can remember so many things we did together, but I can't remember her. I don't know what she did or how she did it. I know we fought Cybermen and Daleks. There were Zygons and robots and a mummy on a train in space, but I don't remember what _she_ did.

“I know she died, though I don't remember how. I remember trying to get her back. I think that's how I lost my memory of her. I think I was going to wipe her memory of me to keep her safe, but somehow I ended up getting my memory of her wiped.”

He paused again. This time it was several minutes before he spoke.

“I met a young woman shortly after I lost my memory. I told her about Clara and she pointed out that Clara might be anyone, even her. I told her I'd know Clara when I saw her, but now I'm wondering if that woman _was _Clara. We were in a diner. She went into the back room and the whole building vanished around me.

“I was left in the desert, but the TARDIS was a few feet away. Someone had painted it. I'm fairly certain it was the kid who was there when Clara died. I'm not good with names, but I think his started with an ‘R’. I called him ‘local knowledge’.”

River smiled at that. She had noticed that this version of her husband was somewhat lacking in the people skills department, but he had always treated her like the most important thing in the universe.

“He was an artist, I think. And I think he had painted the front of the TARDIS in Clara's memory. It was actually rather beautiful. The bottom was covered in flowers and there were branches of roses going up to the top. One of the panels, the one under the St John Ambulance logo, had a black and white picture of a young woman. It was the same woman in the diner.

“Assuming that was Clara, I know what she looks like, I know what she sounds like, and I know some of the things we did together. But I can't take her face and put it in those memories. I don't know anything about her personality. I can't remember anything she said.

“I know she told me something important. We were hiding in the Cloisters. I was trying to open the primary service hatch and she told me something. I wish I knew what it was. It was something important, but that's all I know.”

There was an even longer pause so River pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

“I can't even miss her properly,” he went on. “I do miss her, but I don't know what I miss about her. Do I miss her voice? Her smile? How did she laugh? What was it that could make her cry?

“I can't even really remember why I was going to wipe her memory. I know it was to protect her from the Time Lords, but why couldn't I keep her safe myself? I've got the feeling that there was another reason for wiping her mind. I feel like we agreed that one of us had to forget the other, but why? What was so dangerous about both of us knowing the other?

“And if I didn't end up wiping her mind, is she safe? I assume she's still with this other woman who was there, an immortal named Ashildr, but what if the Time Lords find her? I suppose she'd be put back to the moment of her death, but if that's the case, then what was all that for? What did I lose my memory for? What did I give her?”

“More time,” River murmured.

The Doctor's fingers stilled. The last few notes hung in the air, fading slowly.

“But is that enough? Is it worth losing my memory?”

“Sometimes a little time is all someone needs,” she reminded him. “You gave me this extra time with you and, even though it will never be enough, I wouldn't dream of asking for more.”

The Doctor turned so he could look up at her. He offered her a small smile, but his eyes were still full of all the pain and sorrow he had experienced. She was certain she could count every year he had lived in his eyes.

“I didn't give you this time, River, the universe gave it to both of us.”

“But you stayed. You didn't have to.”

“I wouldn't have dreamed of doing anything else.”

Her arms tightened around his shoulders. He raised a hand to rest on her arm.

“Thank you.”

He stretched up to press a kiss to her lips.

“No, River,” he murmured. “Thank you.”

“But I haven't done anything.”

He pressed another kiss to her lips. “You're here. You listened. You didn't have to.”

“I wanted to. I only wish you'd mentioned it earlier. We've already been here for two years.”

“I don't usually think about it,” he admitted. “It's easy enough to forget about memories I don't have.”

“I'm sorry,” she said.

“It's okay. I'm beginning to learn to live with it,” he assured her. “I just hope I'll never have to forget you.”

She smiled. “I won't let you.”

“Good.”

She leaned forward and kissed him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really happy with how this one turned out. It's so much better than it was originally going to be. At first, I thought of just having the Doctor brooding and River finding him and asking him what was wrong and then asking a bunch of questions as he explained, but then I decided to just have him talk at his own pace and have River just listen and not say anything until he finished.
> 
> I really hope you liked this. Please consider leaving a comment!
> 
> There's going to be two or three more chapters to the Darillium section of this book and then I've got to move on. I've got to get to the Thirteenth Doctor at some point. I still haven't decided if I'm going to ignore Series 12 yet but I don't know if I'll be able to decide that until it's over.


	31. Timeless

River glared at the paper in front of her. She had been reading the same paragraph over and over again but it just hadn't stuck. She was regretting assigning this essay, but it was too late now, and she had to get it marked. Thankfully, there were only a few papers left. Unfortunately, she had stopped making progress several minutes ago.

“Would you like some tea?”

River jumped as her husband's voice came from behind her. She turned to find him leaning over her shoulder.

“What?” she stammered before her brain caught up and she was able to process what he had said.

“I'm making myself some tea. Would you like me to make you some?”

“Oh, yes.” She nodded. “Thank you.”

He moved off and she tried to go back to marking papers, but it was no use. The words were still swimming in front of her eyes and her head was beginning to ache.

Presently, the Doctor returned with two steaming mugs. He handed one to her before taking a seat beside her. She set her papers to one side and snuggled up to him, cradling her mug in both hands.

“Long day?” he asked.

She nodded. “Some of my students were being . . . difficult,” she said slowly. “What about you?”

“Today was alright. They weren't quite at their usual level of stupidity.”

She laughed softly, resting her head against his shoulder. They spent the next hour in silence. River was staring into space, only moving occasionally to drink her tea. The Doctor’s gaze was fixed on her and he was absentmindedly playing with a few of her stray curls.

Long after their empty mugs had grown cold, the Doctor began pulling out the pins that had been keeping River's hair in a semi-neat updo for most of the day. Each pin he pulled out let another bunch of curls spring free, framing her face and toppling into her eyes.

When he had freed her curls from the pins, he dumped them on the nearby table. Then he gently ran his fingers across her scalp. She groaned and leaned into his touch.

“Mmm. Yes,” she murmured.

He continued massaging her head so she closed her eyes and leaned against his hand. He added his second hand so he could massage her scalp properly.

She pushed his hands away a few minutes later and turned to face him.

“Thank you,” she murmured, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“You're welcome,” he replied.

She kissed him briefly before burying her face in his shoulder and breathing in his scent. He glanced down at her, sensing the shift in her mood.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

River hesitated before speaking. “I just find it so hard to believe that we've been here for almost three years. Time is moving so quickly.”

“We still have time, Sweetie,” he said. “We still have more time ahead of us than we've spent together in the past.”

“I love you,” she mumbled.

“I should hope so,” he laughed. “You're still stuck with me for several more years.”

She pulled back to smile up at him. “I'm looking forward to it.”

“I love you too, River,” he said, leaning forward to press his forehead to hers.

River watched as her husband played a song on his guitar. His gaze was focused on his fingers as they moved along the frets. The first time she had found him playing, she had teased him relentlessly. But she had quickly learned to appreciate it. It was one of her husband's many new traits and she loved everything about him. The last version hadn't been very musical. It was nice to have the house filled with his music from time to time.

The Doctor stopped playing, covering the strings to cut the sound. River turned back to her book as he put his guitar away. He sunk onto the sofa beside her a moment later, slipping his arms around her waist.

“You were staring.”

She looked up and offered him an innocent smile. “Was I?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.” She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I like watching you play.”

“You used to make fun of me,” he reminded her.

“Well, I like doing that too.”

He chuckled and pulled her closer, burying his nose in her golden curls. He inhaled deeply, letting her comforting scent wash over him. He loved the fact that she still smelled like time, even though it had been over three years since she had time travelled.

“You're distracting me, Sweetie,” she protested when he pressed a kiss to her head. “I'm trying to read.”

“You weren't reading when you were watching me play,” he pointed out. “And you weren't complaining then.”

“Hmm, that's why I'm trying to read now.”

The Doctor huffed and reached for his own book. He shifted so he was sitting more comfortably and River curled into his side. Then he slung an arm around her shoulders, holding her close as they read.

River leaned into the Doctor's side, resting her head on his shoulder. They had been taking a walk through the park and had stopped to sit on a bench beneath a tree. He glanced down at her. She was staring at something on the other side of the park. Looking up, he followed her gaze.

A group of children were chasing each other around the park. Their parents were standing to the side, talking and laughing.

He looked back at his wife and was surprised by the expression on her face. She was watching them thoughtfully with a look that could only be described as longing. Her hands were in her lap and she was fidgeting with her wedding ring.

He looked back up at the children. They had run over to their parents. One of them was crouched down to get to the children's level. As he watched, the little girl flung her arms around her father and pressed a kiss to his cheek before running off to play again. The father straightened up and smiled at his wife.

“They look happy," he observed.

River nodded. “They do.”

The Doctor studied her before working up the courage to ask what he wanted to know.

“Do you want children?” he asked softly.

She was quiet for a moment before shrugging. “I don't know. Why?”

“We've never really discussed it. Actually, we've _never_ discussed it.”

“Do you?”

“All I want is for you to be happy and if having a child would make you happy, I'd be happy to have a child.”

River turned and offered him a small smile. “I don't know anymore. I used to want children, but it never would have worked. We hardly ever saw each other and never spent more than a few months together. And we never met in the right order.”

“I'm sure we could have stayed together if we decided to have a child,” the Doctor said.

She gave him a blank look. “Would you _really_ have stayed?”

He considered for a moment. “I don't know,” he admitted. “I probably would have been scared and run away, but I would have come back.”

“But could you have_ stayed_,” she pressed. “We'd have had to spend years together as the child grew up. You couldn't have stayed in one place so long.”

“I spent a thousand years on Trenzalore,” he pointed out.

“You didn't have the TARDIS for the first three hundred so you didn't have much of a choice. By then you were used to it.”

“Maybe you're right, but it doesn't matter anymore because that's all in the past, or at least, our past. We can't change what happened, we can only decide what we're going to do now and we have time now. I'm not going anywhere.”

“I know, but we've only got nineteen years left. If we were to have a child, they'd be about eighteen when we have to leave. That's so young. It wouldn't be fair. I couldn't do that to them. Could you?”

He considered for a moment. “I suppose not.” He tightened his grip on his wife. “You're right. It wouldn't be fair.”

“And I'm still happy,” she assured him. “I've got you. I'll always be happy with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm not particularly happy with how this one ended, but I decided I'd just post it anyway. I've also decided that there's only going to be one more Darilium chapter left because I need to move on to my final Twelfth Doctor storyline so I can get onto some Thirteen and, eventually, more River Song.
> 
> Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please consider leaving me a comment, telling me what you think. 
> 
> Have a good day!


	32. Twenty-Four Hours

The Doctor clung to River. He never wanted to let her go, but he knew it would be over soon. They were almost out of time. Her face was buried in the crook of his neck and he could feel her warm breath against his skin.

He looked around the room. A small Christmas tree sat in the corner, but it was the only thing left other than the furniture. The bookshelves had all been cleared, both in the sitting room and in their shared study. It felt empty without all the little things that had accumulated over twenty-four years.

Getting to his feet, he scooped his wife into his arms and carried her towards their bedroom. She clung to his neck but refused to look him in the eye. He didn’t mind. He didn’t want to look at her either.

Their bedroom was just as empty as the rest of the house. All the dressers and wardrobes had been emptied and the surfaces had been cleared off. The only things left were a few items of clothing and the bedding on the bed.

Setting River on the bed, he climbed in with her and pulled her close. She curled into his side and they stayed this way for several short minutes.

_It’s too fast_, she thought miserably as her husband’s fingers combed through her tangled curls. _I need more time_.

She finally raised her head to study his face. It was expressionless, but she could see the pain in his eyes. He turned to look at her so she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. His hand tangled in her hair, pulling her closer.

The Doctor buried his nose in River’s neck, hiding his face in her hair. He pressed a kiss to her skin and murmured her name. She replied with an incoherent mumble before rolling over to peer at him through her eyelashes.

“I wasn’t sure if you were still awake,” he admitted softly.

She shook her head. “I couldn’t sleep if I wanted to.”

They stared at each other for several minutes. Neither of them felt the need to speak. Especially since neither of them had anything to say that the other didn’t already know. The Doctor traced a hand across River’s skin, memorising every curve while his eyes memorised her face. She looked younger than she had when they had first settled on Darillium, but thankfully she didn’t quite look as young as she had when he had first met her.

Eventually, his hand settled on the small of her back and he pulled her closer, pressing a kiss to her forehead and then her nose. He continued peppering kisses along her cheeks and jaw, deliberately avoiding her lips. She laughed when he pressed another kiss to the tip of her nose so he offered her a smile and kissed her. After that, the tension had been broken and they found that they could speak after all.

“Are you counting?” the Doctor asked.

River shook her head. “I’m still trying not to think about it,” she admitted. She paused to kiss him again. “Are you?”

“No.”

They were silent for another few minutes, but this time it wasn’t because they didn’t know what to say.

“River?” the Doctor murmured presently.

“Hmm?”

“You know I love you, right?” he said, raising his head so he could look her in the eye.

Her blue-green eyes stared up into his and she nodded. “I think you’ve made that very clear.”

“Good.” He kissed her again. “I just had to make sure. I thought I’d made it clear before, but I was wrong.”

She hit him in the chest before rolling them over so she was lying on his chest.

“And I love you,” she said. “I always have.”

“Even when you poisoned me?” he chuckled.

She considered for a moment. “That wasn’t me,” she decided.

“Then who was it? I don’t let very many people near enough to me to poison to me with a kiss.”

“Maybe not now, but you were Bowtie back then,” she pointed out.

“Hmm. Maybe,” he said. “But she looked an awful lot like you.”

She laughed and dipped her head to kiss him.

“Happy Christmas, River,” the Doctor murmured.

She tilted her head to look at him and offered him a small smile. It didn’t reach her eyes.

“Happy Christmas, Sweetie,” she replied.

“We should probably consider getting out of bed,” he suggested. “It’s not like either of us actually slept at all.”

“Exactly. We might as well stay here.”

“We can’t stay in bed all day.”

She attempted a grin. “It’s not day.”

It was the line she had used many times in the last twenty-four years as an excuse to stay in bed long after they should have been up and about, but now it wasn’t quite as true as it had been. While it still wasn’t daytime yet, the sun still hadn’t risen, it was no longer the middle of the night. The sky had lightened considerably in the last few years and the last year had been permanently dawn.

Gently nudging her off of him, he climbed out of the bed and reached for his trousers. He turned to look at River as he buttoned up his shirt. She had pulled on his hoodie but had made no other move to get up. Instead, she was leaning against the headboard, watching as he tucked in his shirt.

“Come on, Sweetie,” he urged. “Otherwise, you won’t get your present.”

“There’s only one present I want,” she muttered under her breath. But she crawled across the bed and out of it. Once she had located her own trousers and pulled them on, she and her husband made their way back to the sitting room.

The Doctor produced a small box and offered it to her. She took it and opened it, letting out a gasp when she saw the beautiful necklace inside it. A single blue sapphire hung from a gold chain. He reached forward and carefully took the necklace from the box and unfastened the clasp. She swept her tangled hair out of the way so he could fasten it around his neck. Leaning forward, she pressed a kiss to his lips.

“Thank you, darling.”

River held up an even smaller box. “It’s impossible to know what to get you because the only things you need are your sonic screwdriver and psychic paper,” she started.

“You’ve given me lovely presents,” he protested.

“Because we were still living here,” she explained. “You’re going back to wandering in the TARDIS so this isn’t really something for you, it’s something for you to remember me by.”

“I don’t need anything to do that,” he replied.

Taking the box, he opened it and glanced inside. He let out a quiet laugh when he saw what was inside. It was a golden tube of lipstick with the initials “R.S.” engraved by the base.

“You know, there are several of these scattered around the TARDIS,” he pointed out.

“Oh, I know, but this one is the one you’ll remember me by.”

“I could never forget you,” he said.

Her expression morphed into something he used to consider unreadable, but he had spent enough time with her to be able to identify every emotion that passed across her face. This time, her expression held a mixture of joy and distress and regret. There was still a part of her that didn’t believe him.

River watched as the Doctor slowly programmed the coordinates into the TARDIS console. Climbing the stairs, she approached him, clearing her throat to get his attention. He looked up and looked her over appreciatively. She had changed into a long, black gown. The front had been embroidered with deep blue thread that matched the stone in her new necklace and she had paired it with simple blue earrings. However, these were covered by her hair. At his request, she had left it loose and her wild curls tumbled over her shoulders.

“You look absolutely beautiful,” he said.

“I’m still not convinced you can tell.”

“Only because you always look beautiful.”

She managed a small smile and moved to stand beside him.

“You don’t look too bad yourself,” she said. He was wearing her favourite red velvet jacket above a black waistcoat, crisp white shirt, and black tie. “Although . . .”

Catching hold of his tie, she tugged it loose and pulled it out from under the collar. He raised an eyebrow.

“Undressing me already?” he chuckled.

“You look better without it,” she explained. Then she turned and pulled the lever. The Time Rotor began moving up and down. A few moments later, she pushed the lever back and they materialised in the reception of the restaurant.

They left the ship arm in arm and were let to their table on the balcony. It was the same one they had started the night at and it was decorated in a very similar fashion. The Doctor pulled out a chair and let his wife take a seat before sitting in the chair beside her.

River’s eyes were drawn to the towers. The sight wasn’t quite as spectacular as it had been the last time they had been there since it was no longer backlit by the light of the setting sun. Now they stood proudly along the horizon and the very tops of them glowed golden with the first rays of the sun. However, the music still drifted through the air.

Without removing her eyes from the towers, she reached over to take the Doctor’s hand from where it rested on the table. He turned to look at her, studying her face in the golden light.

They ate their dinner in relative silence. Then they moved to stand by the railing and watched as the strip of golden light crept down the shape of the towers. The Doctor stood behind his wife. His arms encircled her waist, his fingers linked together and resting over her belly. She leaned into him, her head resting against his shoulder.

Tears stung her eyes and she let them fall. She knew it was the only sensible thing to do. Turning in her husband’s arms, she was surprised to see tears on his weathered cheeks as well.

“Are you crying?” she whispered, echoing the words she had said in that same spot twenty-four years before.

“How could I not be?” he replied. He bowed his head to press a damp kiss to her forehead.

The gesture was met with a choked sob and River buried her face in his coat. Her fingers gripped the fabric and he tightened his hold on her, pulling her closer. Leaning down, he hid his face in her hair. They stood together for several minutes, crying silently.

The Doctor would have given anything to stay there forever, but he knew there was nothing he could do. He had to let her go. They had been given one more night and that night had been longer than he could have dreamed, but now their time was up. He had to let her go to the Library. He had to let her go to her death.

“A long time ago, shortly after your parents got married, I met an old man who loved a woman who only had a few days to live,” the Doctor murmured. “She spent all year frozen, but he let her out every Christmas Eve and they would go on adventures together.”

River hummed softly. She knew the story. Both he and her parents had told it to her before, though she wasn’t sure why he was telling it now.

“They started as friends, but as he grew older, they fell in love,” he went on. “Then, one Christmas Eve, she told him that she only had one more day left to live. After their adventure, they said their goodbyes and she returned to the ice.

“Christmas Eves came and went, but he never returned to her. Eventually, his father passed away and he became the most important man in the town. But leaving her in the ice had turned him cold and he had no compassion for anyone.

“Until one Christmas Eve.

“A spaceship carrying four thousand and three people was about to crash on the town. He could have saved it, but he had become too heartless to care. However, once he was shown what he had become, he wasn’t able to save the ship. There was only one person who could and he was left with an impossible choice that Christmas morning. Four thousand and three people he didn’t know, or the woman he loved.”

The Doctor had to pause. He had just realised that Kazran’s decision was almost exactly the same as the one River would have to make very soon. Abigail had died to save those four thousand and three people she had never met and would never meet. River had died/would die to save four thousand and twenty-two people she didn’t even know. However, River would be doing it to save him, and to preserve the time they had spent together. This time.

“And what did he do?” she prompted, though she knew the answer. But his answer surprised her. It was a part of the story he had never heard before.

He took a shaky breath. “It’s not so much what he did as what he said to me,” he replied. “ He said, ‘Think about it, Doctor. One last day with your beloved. Which day would you choose?’

“It didn’t mean much to me at the time, but now I understand why the decision was so hard. How are you supposed to choose? How are you supposed to look at someone you love with all your hearts and know that you’ll never, ever see them again? Like Kazran, I’ve been selfish. I’ve been putting off this day for as long as I could, even though it meant spending years without you. And yet here we are, and all I can say is that Abigail was right.”

“How so?” River asked through her tears.

“He asked what day I would choose and she gave the only sensible answer. ‘Christmas,’ she said. And she was right.”

He managed a sad smile as their eyes met. Reaching up, he brushed away her tears. Then he cupped her cheek in his hand and drew her into a deep kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally managed to sit myself down and write this chapter. I really hope you enjoy it. Please leave a comment letting me know what you think!
> 
> This was the last chapter with River in it for a little while. Don't worry, she'll show up again at some point, but not yet.


	33. The Man in the Basement

Donna sipped on her drink as she watched her friends catch each other up on the latest gossip. It had been about two months since she had regained her memories and it was the first time she had agreed to go out with them since then. As she had suspected, she was getting more bored by the minute. She could hardly believe she had been friends with them, but she knew she had been one of them; someone so dull that nosy gossip was an exciting pastime.

“Donna?”

She blinked and looked up to find everyone looking at her.

“Donna, are you okay?” Veena said. “I've called you three times.”

“Oh, don't worry about her,” Nerys sneered. “She's been like that ever since that incident two months ago.”

“Why? Your family made it through okay, didn't they?” Alice asked.

“Yes, but everyone did,” Donna replied.

“What happened to you then?” Susie demanded. “‘Cause Nerys is right, you haven't been the same since then. We've hardly seen you and the few times we have, you've been--”

“Boring,” Nerys cut in.

“I was going to say different.”

Donna shrugged.

“Anyway,” Veena interrupted. “I was asking if you had heard what happened to Becky yesterday.”

“No,” Donna admitted. “I don't really--”

“Apparently, she . . .”

Veena kept talking but Donna had stopped paying attention. She glanced at the time, trying to figure out if she could excuse herself without being rude. Deciding she didn't really care, she set down her drink and got to her feet.

“Where’re you going?” Mooky demanded.

“I need to get home,” Donna replied coolly. “I've got things to do. It's been nice catching up with you.”

Nerys gave her a disapproving look but they all said their goodbyes and she made her way out of the building and to her car.

When she arrived home, she found her grandfather pouring tea into a Thermos. He looked up when she tossed the keys on the counter.

“You're back early,” he observed.

“Yeah, well it's a little hard to be interested in a conversation that revolves around who's dating who, who's had work done, who's _cheating_ on who . . .” Donna shrugged.

“You used to enjoy conversations like that,” Wilf chuckled.

“Yes, but now I know there are more interesting things to talk about. I haven't had a good, intellectual conversation since the Doctor left.”

“I'm trying not to take that personally.”

Donna laughed. “You know that's not what I meant. I love talking to you, gramps, but do you know how many star systems are in the Mirridon Galaxy?”

“No.”

She grinned. “Neither do I,” she admitted. “But you get what I mean. I can recite the first thousand digits of pi. I know things most people wouldn't believe.”

“Right. I was going to go up the hill. Care to join me?” Wilf offered.

“Sure. I'll just change into something more comfortable first.”

She turned to leave the room just as her mother came in.

“I thought you were going out?”

“Yeah, and now I'm back.”

Donna slipped past her and went up to her room to change. Then she left the house to join her grandfather. He was sitting in his chair, bent over his telescope.

“What are you looking at?” she asked.

“Oh, nothing in particular,” he replied. “Just a cluster of stars.”

“Can I take a look?”

“Yeah, sure.”

He moved aside so she could peer through the lens.

“Did you know that at least two of those stars are the centres of star systems that support life?”

“I've always liked to think that,” he replied.

“I've actually been to one of them,” she said. “The people there were lovely. They had four arms.”

“Do you know the names of all the stars?” Wilf asked.

“No, not all of them. Nobody can know all that. I mean, there are billions of stars in our galaxy alone and there are billions of galaxies with billions upon billions of stars of their own,” she reminded him. “Even the Doctor couldn't know all of their names. But I can tell you some of the ones I do know.”

Donna pushed her hair out of her face as she poured herself a cup of coffee. She was convinced that there was nothing more boring than working as a secretary, but she had decided it was best if she didn't reveal that she had become a half-alien genius, or any kind of genius for that matter. 

One of her coworkers, Patricia Meyers, joined her at the coffee station.

“How's your day going, Donna?”

Donna let out a dramatic sigh. “Oh, you know, I'm having the time of my life. How about you?”

“My day's been fine.” She paused to pour herself a cup of coffee before remarking, “You used to be quite content with this job. Now you're so restless. What happened?”

“I don't know,” she lied. “I guess I just realised that there are better things I could be doing with my life.”

“What did you have in mind?”

Donna shrugged, but before she could answer, there was a crash. They jumped and turned to see what had made the noise.

“What was that, Mark?” Patricia asked.

He looked sheepish. “The printer's not working again,” he explained.

“And you thought kicking it would help?” Donna asked, raising an eyebrow.

“No, but I don't know what's wrong with it. It's not out of paper, it's not out of ink, it's not jammed . . .”

“Lemme take a look at it,” she said, setting her cup down. He stepped aside to let her look at the machine. She pulled open a section of it and peered inside.

A few moments later, she closed the panel and stepped back. “There. Try that.”

“What did you do?”

“Nothing, really. Just try it.”

He did and it began printing his documents.

“How did you do that?” Patricia demanded. “You've always said you can't even change a plug.”

“I can now,” Donna admitted with a lopsided shrug. This was a conversation she’d rather not have.

Quickly excusing herself, she hurried back to her desk. It was very difficult to pretend she wasn't smarter than everyone. And then there was the way of speaking and the little mannerisms she had obtained from the Doctor. Everyone who knew her was beginning to notice and she wasn't sure what to do.

_Why did I turn down the Doctor's offer . . . again?_ she thought bitterly.

But she knew the answer. She had stayed for her family. She wasn't ageing much, but her mum and grandad weren't getting any younger.

_I could run off for years and come back a minute later, _she reminded herself. But for some reason, she hadn't wanted to. She still didn't really want to. While she had loved travelling with the Doctor, that part of her life was over now. Now she was staying on Earth for her family, cherishing every moment before they were gone forever.

Feeling slightly better, she was able to turn her attention to her work. . . . Well, some of her attention. To be honest, her job didn't require much of it.

Donna looked up as a man stumbled into the building. His expression was passive, almost too passive, but his eyes swept around the room desperately, as if looking for a place to hide. She watched as he crossed the room to the lift, his pace measured and she suspected he was trying not to break into a run.

However, that wasn't the most interesting thing. What had caught her attention was the way he carried himself. There was something about it that didn't ring true. She wasn't sure if it was his posture, his gait, or simply the way he moved, but there was something wrong with it.

She was still staring even after the lift doors had closed behind him and it was several moments before she realised her name was being called. She turned to find Patricia watching her with a look of concern on her face.

“Donna, are you okay?” she asked. “What were you staring at?”

“She was staring at that man who came in,” Marie said. “Though I'm not sure why. He wasn't much to look at.”

Donna frowned at the young receptionist. “I-- I thought I knew him,” she lied. She shook her head. “I must have mistaken him for someone else.”

Her gaze flicked back to the lift and she noted the numbers going down, stopping at the lowest floor beneath the building.

“Anyway, I’m ready to go,” Marie said. “Shall we?”

“Yeah,” Patricia agreed.

They started towards the door, but Donna hung back a bit.

“You guys go ahead,” she declared. “I think I left something up in my office. I’ll see you later.”

She turned and made a beeline for the lift before they could reply. However, before she could press the down button, Patricia appeared at her elbow.

“I left my mobile again,” she explained.

Donna held back a sigh as she pressed the up button to summon the lift. The doors opened a few moments later and they stepped inside. She had been planning to follow the man down to the basement, but she pressed the button for the floor where their offices were.

When the doors opened, she quickly made her way to her office. She was hoping to get away from Patricia so she could go down and investigate the basement, but the woman appeared in the doorway before she could leave.

“Got my mobile. Are you ready to go?” Patricia asked.

“Uh, no. You go ahead,” Donna said. She pretended to sort through the papers on her desk.

“I can wait.”

“There's no need, Pat,” she insisted.

“Nonsense. I'm sure you'll be done soon and then you'd just have to wait for the lift,” Patricia pointed out.

Donna held back a frustrated sigh. “Oh, very well.”

“What are you looking for?”

Pulling open a drawer, she managed to get her keys out of her pocket without Patricia seeing. Then she pretended to pick them out of the drawer.

“Keys,” she replied, holding them up.

They entered the lift and Donna reached for the button for the ground floor. Then she decided to press the button for the lowest floor first. It didn't light up.

“That's odd,” she muttered.

“What is?”

“I pressed this button but it didn't light up,” she explained, pointing to the button.

“Maybe there's something wrong with the bulb,” Patricia suggested.

“No, it's not just that. This whole panel's loose.”

“What?”

“Look.”

Donna crouched down and tugged on the corner of the panel as Patricia came to look. Pulling a small pocket knife out of her pocket, she began carefully prying the panel free.

“What are you doing?” Patricia hissed.

“Shh.”

Donna removed the panel and checked the back.

“Look, these wires are disconnected,” she said, pointing to the wires that should have been connected to the button for the basement.

“Just leave it, Donna,” Patrica begged.

Donna shushed her again. “If I can just . . .” She quickly reconnected the wires, jumping back as they sparked. “Ha!”

“What have you done?” Patrica demanded.

“Fixed it,” Donna replied, fitting the panel back in place. Once she was sure it was secure, she pressed the button and the lift began to move. “See?”

“You could have broken it and trapped us in here.”

“I knew what I was doing,” Donna assured him.

“How? And why are we going to the basement?”

Donna considered for a moment. Then she decided she might as well tell her friend the truth.

“That man who came in,” she said. She tapped the glowing button. “He took the lift down to this floor so the button was working then, but it's not working now so that means he must have disconnected it.”

“Who was he?”

“That's what I intend to find out.”

“But you were staring at him when he came in. Why?”

“Because there was something wrong with him,” Donna explained. “Something about the way he moved.”

The lift stopped and the doors slid open. Donna carefully stepped into the dark space beyond. Patricia's hand on her arm stopped her.

“You're not going to look for him?” she demanded.

“That's why I came down here,” Donna said.

“But if he sabotaged the lift, he obviously didn't want to be followed. He could be dangerous.”

“Could be, but he looked more scared to me,” she replied. She turned to look at her friend. “Look, just go home. I can handle this.”

Patricia shook her head violently. “No. I'm not leaving you down here alone.”

Donna shrugged. “Okay then. Keep close and don't wander off.”

Patricia nodded. She stepped out of the lift and the doors slid shut behind her, plunging the room into complete darkness. Donna blinked rapidly, adjusting her eyes to the lack of light. She started forward cautiously, but Patricia latched onto her arm.

“I can't see a thing,” she whispered.

“It's a bit too dark for me too,” Donna admitted. “There should be a light switch somewhere. Let go of me so I can find it.”

Patricia obeyed and Donna made her way over to the wall. It was getting easier to see, but she knew her friend was still practically blind. She quickly located the light switch by the lift and flicked it. Dim lights flickered on, illuminating the room.

It was a large space used for storage. Dusty shelves stood in rows, covered in dusty boxes of junk. A few shelves were draped in dusty sheets whose ends trailed on the dusty ground.

They started forward slowly, making their way between two of the shelves.

“Hello?” Donna called.

“What are you doing?” Patricia hissed, gripping her arm. “He'll know we're here.”

“He already knows we're here,” she pointed out. “We weren't exactly being quiet. Besides, the lights didn't turn themselves on.”

They continued making their way between the shelves. Donna checked behind every sheet and around every corner, but there was no one there.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash and Patricia let out a scream. The sound was cut short so Donna spun around to see the man holding Patricia in a tight grasp, one hand clamped over her mouth. The crash had been made by the boxes that now lay scattered across the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After forever I finally managed to get this chapter done! The problem was, I didn't have a plot. Credits go to one of my friends for providing me with an idea.
> 
> Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed this. Don't forget to leave a comment letting me know what you thought! I'll try to get the next chapter done soon.
> 
> Have a great day! And stay safe!


End file.
